


Favourite Worst Nightmare

by MelissaMajoria



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cults, F/M, Ghosts, Glenn Fraldarius Lives, Haunted Houses, Mentioned Golden Deer Students (Fire Emblem), Mentioned Sitri Eisner | Byleth's Mother, hints of other budding relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:48:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 29,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27321448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelissaMajoria/pseuds/MelissaMajoria
Summary: aka My Stepsister is a Ghost.A haunted house modern AU.(Modern as in, like, early to mid 90's modern, though. No cell phones, although Sylvain's car has a car phone. (Not that it ever comes up.))Mature rating for violence, all romance stays pretty PG.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & My Unit | Byleth, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 14
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

Edelgard von Hresvelg graced her butler Hubert von Vestra with a rare smile as their carriage turned down the long driveway to Hresvelg Manor. “It feels good to be home, does it not, Hubert?”

“Indeed, Lady Edelgard,” he replied.

“I do hope mother and father are well. It has been a long time since I last received a letter from them.”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Hubert said opening the door as the carriage pulled to a stop. He stepped out and turned to reach for Edelgard’s hand. Edelgard’s glove met Hubert’s and he squeezed her hand gently as she made her way down the step.

Edelgard turned towards the house, missing the affectionate look Hubert gave her which morphed into his usual frown when she pulled her hand from his. A thick fog had settled across the landscape, obscuring most of her view of the large house.

“I trust you can handle the bags?” he asked, turning towards their driver.

“Of course, sir,” the driver said, stepping down from his post.

The pair headed towards the entrance to the large house. 

It had been just under a year since they had last been here, having been away at boarding school. Edelgard had wanted to come home for the holidays, but her mother had insisted that she stay at school, to really 'soak it in.' Edelgard wasn't completely sure what she was supposed to be soaking in, but it had been fun spending the break with her friends. She had even talked Hubert into taking a break.

He still insisted on serving her when he wasn't busy with his own classes. A butler attending classes at a boarding school might have seemed silly, but it was the only way for him to accompany her to the school. The pair refused to be separated, had been that way since childhood. The Vestra family had served the Hresvelg family for years, but Edelgard and Hubert's bond seemed to run deeper than simple familial obligations.

Thunder crashed in the distance and Edelgard jumped.

Hubert frowned, looking up at the sky. It had been a clear night only moments before, but the fog obscured his vision now, seeming to thicken with each breath he took. A flash of lightning was barely discernible through the fog and Edelgard, not a fan of storms, let out a soft whimper. Hubert offered his arm to her who took it gratefully.

Hubert opened the large door to the house, holding it wide for Edelgard who stepped in quickly, happy to be sheltered from the coming storm.

"Mother? Father!" she called, walking down the long hallway, Hubert close behind.

She heard a commotion coming from the nearby parlor and headed for the door.

Hubert's father appeared from behind them. "Father?" Hubert asked. "What are you doing here?" The senior Vestra rarely visited Hresvelg Manor in the evenings any longer.

"Hubert. Please come this way, there is something we need to discuss." Hubert looked back towards Edelgard, but her mother had come through the parlor door to greet her daughter. He followed his father into the room.

"Edelgard," Anselma said with a smile. "It's so good to see you again."

In her elation at seeing her mother again, Edelgard didn't notice the way her smile seemed a little uneasy or the way her voice shook.

"I missed you so much, mother!" Edelgard said, hugging her tightly. She pulled back and looked around. "Where is father?"

"He's... in the parlor. The society is having a meeting."

"Oh," Edelgard said, disappointment in her voice. She had hoped her family would be a little more pleased to see her instead of scheduling a meeting on the day of her arrival home. "I'll head upstairs, then."

She turned to go, but Anselma put a hand on her shoulder. "Wait," she said hesitantly. "They've all been waiting for you, actually."

Edelgard looked at her mother with wide eyes. "For me?" Was she finally being initiated into the secret society her parents belonged to?

Anselma turned her daughter towards the door. "Unless... you really wanted to leave?"

Edelgard frowned, her hand on the doorknob. "Why would I want that?"

Anselma hesitated. "Being a society member often requires great sacrifices. It's not something to take lightly."

Edelgard shrugged. "Whatever it takes - that's what you and father always say, right?" She pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Anselma frowned, tears pricking the edges of her eyes. "Of course."

"Edelgard!" Cornelia greeted, a huge smile plastered on her face. "Welcome home."

"Hello," Edelgard said with a curtsy. She looked around the room, pleased to finally be joining the society she had heard of her entire life. She knew little of what they actually did, only that it was very important to her parents, particularly her mother.

Duke Aegir stepped forward and took her hand and kissed it in greeting, his large frame blocking Edelgard's view of her father and uncle seated in the corner.

Counts Bergliez & Hevring offered her a bow, Count and Countess Varley smiling widely at her. The other members she did not know by name smiled and bowed.

"Father!" Edelgard greeted with a big smile when Duke Aegir finally moved out of the way. "And Uncle Arundel!" She started towards them, but Arundel held up a hand.

"Your father's had a bit too much to drink," he said.

She noticed her father was sitting strangely, but he didn't seem inebriated. He wasn't moving at all, sitting still as the large statue that sat in the corner of the room. Only his eyes moved, darting around the room and seeming panicked.

"He seems quite unwell," Edelgard said, frowning. A sense of unease was starting to fill her. Anselma took her by the shoulders and led her to the empty middle of the room where the furniture had been pushed to the sides. The rug was missing as well, a strange symbol painted on the floor.

"What is this?" she asked, looking up at her mother. "What's happening, mother?"

Hubert burst through the door. "Lady Edelgard!" he shouted. His father appeared just behind him and Hubert's eyes widened, his body jerking. "Run!" he gasped. He slid to the floor, dark liquid oozing from his back.

Edelgard looked up at Marquis Vestra, only to notice he was holding a knife dripping with blood. "Hubert!" she screamed, lunging towards the boy. Her mother caught her arm, however, holding her still. 

"Let me go!" Edelgard shouted, struggling under her grip. Lord Arundel came to hold her other arm.

"It will be over soon," Anselma said quietly. "Just relax."

"Mother! What's happening?"

Cornelia took the knife from Marquis Vestra, stepping in front of Edelgard and blocking her view of the lifeless Hubert. She took Edelgard's chin in her hands, smiling at her. "You, my dear, have been chosen for something very special." She pressed the knife into Edelgard's cheek, causing her to cry out. "The goal of the society has been to resurrect our god, Nemesis. Unfortunately he needs a vessel and very few people are suitable vessels. But you, we believe you are the perfect tool for the job." Cornelia made a matching cut on Edelgard's other cheek while Anselma and Arundel tore the sleeves of Edelgard's dress, exposing her shoulders where Cornelia cut symbols into. Edelgard screamed in pain, tears running down her face.

The fog from outside began to fill the room.

"Cornelia," Anselma said quietly. "Must you cut so deep?"

Cornelia's smile never wavered. "Would you like to join your husband?"

"I'm only saying that, perhaps, we should not damage the lord's vessel so much."

"Mother, why?" Edelgard asked, looking up at her mother with pleading eyes. Anselma looked away, helping Arundel pull her to the ground. They each held one of her arms out, Dukes Aegir and Hevring holding her legs in place. Cornelia made more cuts, Edelgard's fine white dress turning red from the blood now.

Cornelia took a step back, smiling down at her work. Thunder crashed loudly outside, the fog almost completely filling the room now. Cornelia glanced at the window. "It's time," she said.

The society members not holding Edelgard down made their way to the edges of the circle painted on the floor. Count Bergliez dragged Ionius' limp body and positioned him in place as well. They all began to chant.

Edelgard continued to struggle, to cry, to beg her mother to stop this madness, but it was no use. Finally, she turned her eyes from her heartless mother and towards her dead butler and best friend instead. She looked into Hubert's lifeless eyes, wishing they had more time together. She knew he loved her, and she cared deeply for him as well. And now he was dead and she was surely soon to follow. The thunder outside boomed loudly, the storm fully overhead now. A mysterious wind blew around the room wildly, blowing hair and fabric in all directions.

Cornelia's face blocked Edelgard's vision as she stepped forward, handing Anselma the sword the Hresvelg family kept on display. Anselma wrapped Edelgard’s hand around the hilt, careful not to touch it herself, and a shock went through the girls body. Cornelia raised her hands above her head and plunged the knife into Edelgard’s chest.

The society members stopped chanting, watching Edelgard closely, then looking at each other nervously when nothing further happened. Suddenly, a zap of lightning burst through the window and slammed into Cornelia, knocking her into a nearby wall.

Ionius, able to move now that Cornelia's spell was no longer affecting him, crawled towards his daughter as the room erupted into panic, lightning striking several of the society members. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

A final bolt of lightning struck the sword, reverberating into Edelgard’s body. She let out one final choked sob before falling lifeless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a bad habit of writing mothers as terrible people. 
> 
> Or just killing them off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeralt reluctantly returns to his hometown of Garreg Mach and accepts a teaching position at Garreg Mach High School, where his daughter Byleth will be attending.

Byleth Eisner tugged on her skirt, frowning. She wasn't used to wearing skirts (mostly) due to an irrational fear that at any moment the fabric would shift, exposing her backside. At least the school dress code was lax enough to allow her to wear her favorite patterned tights under the skirt. They were comfortable and familiar, not to mention an extra layer of protection against any (albeit unlikely) wardrobe malfunctions.

She looked around the campus, another thing to get used to. She had been home-schooled her entire life, so being surrounded by so many other teenagers was a little unnerving if she was being honest. They were so... _loud_. So loud and rambunctious, running around and yelling at each other as if they were all hearing impaired.

She considered leaving, running home to change back into her pajamas and read one of her fantasy novels. Instead of running away, however, she sighed and made her way back towards the main building to meet her father. He had suggested she walk around the campus to try and get used to the place while he was in his staff meeting. He now stood just outside of the door she had left him at, arms crossed as he talked to a tall woman with long, pale green hair.

"There you are!" he said as Byleth walked up.

The woman turned, her eyes softening as she looked Byleth up and down. Byleth frowned, a little unnerved at being so closely observed.

"Oh, Jeralt," she said. "You didn't tell me she was just as lovely as Sitri."

Byleth's ears perked up at the mention of her mother's name. She hardly ever heard it, her father so rarely spoke of her.

"You knew my mother?" Byleth asked curiously.

"Rhea, I don't think-" Jeralt started.

"Please forgive me," Rhea said. "Yes, I did know your mother. I have been the principal here for a very long time, including when your parents attended school here. It is an honor to meet you, Byleth."

Byleth reached out to shake the woman's hand but Rhea took her hand in both of her own, clasping it tightly. Byleth had been fairly secluded her entire life and therefore wasn't entirely familiar with most socialization habits, but this one definitely felt off to her. Rhea also didn't look old enough to have been principal when Byleth's parents had been her age, but she shrugged that off.

"Lady Rhea?" a stern looking man with hair a darker shade of green called.

"Oh, Seteth," she said, smiling at him. "Please meet our newest student, Byleth Eisner." She finally released Byleth’s hand.

Seteth gave her a quick once over, nowhere near the interest Rhea had given her. "Welcome to Garreg Mach High School," he said, nodding to her. I’m the Vice Principal, Mr. Cichol.” He turned back to Rhea. "Sheriff Fraldarius is here to discuss... that issue," he said cryptically.

Rhea nodded. "Please see Alois for your schedule," she said to Byleth. "I do hope to see you again soon," she added, smiling at her.

Jeralt sighed once they were gone.

"What was that all about?" Byleth asked her father.

"Nothing for you to concern yourself with. Just... be careful around her. She can be a little overbearing," he said, explaining nothing. "Well, come on. Let's get your schedule and get you to class."

He led her down the hall, past an intersection where a boy with brown hair was shouting across the hall. Byleth cringed a little closer to her father, wondering why everyone felt the need to be so loud. The halls were filled with people now and Byleth was glad to be walking with her large, imposing father. People moved out of his way.

Jeralt led his daughter into the administrative office, sighing at the inevitability of seeing his old friend Alois again.

"Jeralt? It is you!" the man behind the desk said once they were in the office. "I'd heard you accepted a teaching position here. Goodness, it's been ages!"

Byleth looked between the two men curiously.

"Don't you recognize me?" he asked before Jeralt could say anything. "It's Alois! Your old best friend! Well, at least you were my best friend. It's been almost 20 years now, hasn't it? You left town so suddenly. I thought I'd never see you again!"

"You haven't changed a bit, Alois," Jeralt said with a sigh. "Just as loud as ever."

Alois turned to Byleth. "How about you, kid? Are you Jeralt's child?"

Byleth nodded shyly.

"Is that so? Well, physical differences aside, your mannerisms do remind me of Captain Jeralt here."

"Captain?" Byleth asked.

"Don't start that, Alois. I haven't been the captain of anything in years."

"Your father was the captain of every sports team we had when he was a student here," Alois explained, ignoring Jeralt's protests.

"We just came to get her schedule, Alois," Jeralt said, frowning. "Can you please hurry? I don't want her to be late on her first day."

"Oh, of course!" Alois fussed with a couple of folders on his desk. "Let's see here, which homeroom should we put you in? Blue Lions or Golden Deer?"

"What's this now?" Jeralt asked.

"Oh, just nicknames I made up for the homeroom classes. I’m trying to get them to stick, but no luck just yet!"

"Hmph."

Alois opened both folders, comparing lists stapled to each. Each folder held a stack of papers, a picture paper clipped to the top. Byleth recognized the loud boy from the hall on top of the yellow folder. "Not that one," she requested, pointing.

Alois looked up at her. "Not the Golden Deer?"

She shook her head. "Please. If it's possible."

Alois shrugged. "Your wish is my command!" He added her name to the bottom of the list in the blue folder instead. She studied the picture of the boy paper clipped to the top of that stack of papers. He was blonde, looking a little uncertain in his picture. Hopefully she had chosen correctly and he would be much quieter than the other boy who smiled at her confidently from his picture, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

A loud bell rang as Byleth was posing for her school ID photo and Jeralt sighed. "How much longer is this going to take?" he asked Alois. "I have my own class to get to."

"You can go ahead, Dad," Byleth suggested. "I'll be fine on my own."

"You sure, kid?"

"I can walk her to her first class once we've finished up!" Alois said cheerfully.

"Well, alright," Jeralt said reluctantly. He paused with his hand on the door. "You know where to find me if you need anything?"

Byleth nodded. "Go, Dad."

Alois typed a few things into the ancient looking computer and made some photocopies while Byleth waited patiently in a nearby chair. He chatted almost nonstop while he worked - whether to himself or her, she wasn't entirely sure.

Finally, Alois lifted a sheet of paper from the printer and handed it to her. "Here's your schedule!" he said cheerfully.

She took the warm paper from him, looking over it. It seemed pretty basic, she thought, most of the subjects she had studied when she was home-schooled - Math, Science, History, English. There was also her father's gym class and homeroom.

"What is 'homeroom'?" Byleth asked Alois.

"You've never had a homeroom before?" he asked.

"I was home-schooled," she explained.

"Ah," he held the door open for her and they started down the hall. "Homeroom is basically a free period. You can work on homework and study. Your homeroom teacher, Miss Catherine, will take attendance and give out any announcements. She can also help with any questions you have. Sometimes she might give presentations or have guest speakers, usually for career development and that sort of thing."

Byleth nodded. 

“You might call it a room that is your home here!” Alois chuckled loudly to himself and Byleth smiled politely. It sounded like a waste of time to her, but maybe she could spend it reading.

"Well, here we are!" He led her through an open door and she cringed when she could hear the rambunctious teenagers inside. Perhaps she had chosen wrong.

"Miss Catherine!" Alois greeted excitedly. "I have a new student for you!"

The room erupted with whispers as almost everyone turned to look at Byleth who suddenly wished she had ran earlier when she had the chance.

Dimitri Blaiddyd did not look up. He was busy furiously rewriting his English essay for probably the tenth time. He didn't want to be rude, but knew there was no reason for him to immediately greet the new student. They would find their way to him eventually. 

"Dude," Sylvain Gautier said, leaning back in his seat towards Dimitri.

"What is it, Sylvain?" he asked with an edge of impatience to his voice as he scribbled furiously.

"Are you seeing this?"

"A new student, what of it?"

"Yeah, but... she's hot. In this, like, subtle, nerd way. I bet if you take off those glasses and put some makeup on her-"

"Sylvain," Ingrid Galatea growled from next to him, "don't you dare finish that sentence." 

Dimitri sighed, rolling his eyes. Sylvain's philandering was a thing of legend. He finally put down his pencil. "Must you immediately objectify her when she hasn't even been here for more than..." he trailed off as his eyes landed on the beautiful girl standing at the front of the room.

Sylvain continued talking but Dimitri didn't hear anything he said. The room had gone silent, he could only hear the blood rushing in his ears.

She was looking around the room curiously, teal bangs falling into her wide eyes of the same color, hidden behind her glasses. There was a frown on her soft lips and he wondered what he could do to make her smile.

A hand waved in front of his face and the world came into focus around him again, his hearing returning. "Earth to Dimitri?" Sylvain was saying.

"Hmm?" he asked, reluctantly breaking his gaze away from Byleth and to Sylvain.

"I think someone might be infatuated with our new classmate," Dedue Molinaro said from next to him, a rare mischievous smile on his face. 

Dimitri frowned at his traitorous friend.

"You?" Sylvain asked, eyes going wide. "Really? I have waited for this day to come for so long!"

"Will you shut up!" Felix Fraldarius growled from beside Sylvain.

"You're both disgusting," Ingrid said, glaring at both Sylvain and Dimitri.

Dimitri's eyes widened at her accusation. "What did I do?"

"You don't know anything about her! Just judging her based on her looks. What if she's boring or mean?"

"Hey now," Sylvain said reproachfully.

"You have a good point, Ingrid," Dimitri told her. "Perhaps we should get to know her first?"

Dimitri's heart skipped a beat when it was suggested that Byleth take the empty seat behind Ingrid and next to him. Everyone looked at him expectantly whenever Byleth took her seat.

"H-hello," he managed to say, feeling frozen.

She gave him the tiniest of smiles. "Hi," she said shyly.

"I'm…” he paused for a beat longer than was typically acceptable, forgetting his name. “Dimitri," he finally remembered. "This is Ingrid, Sylvain, Felix, and Dedue," he pointed. "And up front there is Annette, Mercedes, and Ashe."

She nodded slowly, watching attentively as he introduced everyone, trying to remember their names.

"Did you just move here?" Dedue asked curiously when Dimitri seemed lost for words.

Byleth nodded. "My dad used to go to school here."

"He left and then came back?" Ingrid asked, eyebrows raised.

Byleth nodded again.

"Impressive," Sylvain said. "People rarely leave this town."

"Glenn left," Ingrid pointed out.

"To go to college," Felix said, rolling his eyes. "He'll be back."

"You don't know that," Ingrid argued. "Maybe he'll get a job in a different town."

"Glenn is Felix's brother and Ingrid's boyfriend," Dimitri explained to a confused looking Byleth.

"Do you have a boyfriend, Byleth?" Sylvain asked with a raise of his eyebrows.

Dimitri kicked his chair.

"Um, no."

"Sylvain!" Ingrid protested.

"Come on already," Felix said.

"What?" Sylvain asked, raising his hands. "Maybe she has a girlfriend?" he looked at her expectantly.

"No," Byleth said with a frown.

"So if you had to pick between the two, which would you rather have?"

"Sylvain," Mercedes Martritz admonished. "I really don't think this is an appropriate first day conversation to be having."

"Please ignore him," Dimitri said, his face in his hands.

"It's fine," Byleth said. "I'm not sure. I guess I've never really thought about it."

“Maybe you can think about it over dinner with me later?”

Byleth raised her eyebrows at him. “Are his lines always this pathetic?” she asked, glancing between Ingrid and Dimitri. She winced at the cacophonous roar of laughter that erupted from everyone in the classroom. Even Catherine, who had overheard the exchange, was snickering.

“Okay, okay!” Sylvain said over the roar. “I deserved that, I admit it.”

"You should go to lunch with us," Ingrid suggested, turning back to Byleth whom she now accepted completely.

"Go to lunch?" Byleth asked.

"Yeah! Great idea, Ingrid!" Sylvain said.

"We usually go out for lunch," Dimitri said. "You're more than welcome to join us."

"Okay," she agreed a little reluctantly.

His tenth English essay revision forgotten, Dimitri watched her carefully, listening riveted as his classmates asked her various questions.

Dedue asked, "What do you do for fun?" 

"Read, mostly," she said, tugging on her skirt again.

"What do you read?" Ingrid asked.

"A little bit of everything. But I think fantasy is my favorite."

They learned that Byleth had been home-schooled and that she lived with just her dad. They had moved all over Fodlan while her father was in the military. Her mother was dead, much like Dimitri's. Her father was their new gym teacher, he was the famous Jeralt Eisner they had all seen in the trophy case. Catherine let them leave a little early so they could show the confused Byleth the trophy case.  
Before the athletics budget cuts ten years prior, Garreg Mach High School had a team for almost every sport, and during his tenure at the school, Jeralt Eisner had been the captain of every one of them. Byleth stared transfixed at the pictures and trophies showing her father's smiling face and name. She recognized Alois in a few of the pictures as well.

"He never told you about this?" Dimitri asked.

Byleth shook her head. "He doesn't talk much about his time here."

"Unfortunately now all we have in the way of sports is gym class," Dimitri explained as they separated from the others to walk slowly to their next class. "Every year there is a volleyball game between the two homeroom classes, but that's really all we have for athletic competitions now."

"Volleyball?" Byleth asked, eyebrows raised.

Dimitri nodded.

"Hmm," she said. "I have a feeling my dad might try to change that. He doesn't care much for volleyball."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Their last class of the day was gym, and Dimitri noticed that Byleth had been right. One of the first things Mr. Eisner did was announce that the annual volleyball game was now the annual kickball game. Ashe and Mercedes looked at the notoriously clumsy Annette nervously while the others looked at each other a little more excitedly.

Jeralt appraised each of the kids carefully as he tested their kickball skills. The Fraldarius boy was fast. The Galatea girl was almost as impressive as his own daughter. Jeralt raised his eyebrows when the Blaiddyd boy kicked the ball so far they could all only stared in amazement. "Maybe we work on your strength a little," he suggested as the kid apologized profusely for the missing ball. 

Blaiddyd... that name was familiar, but Jeralt couldn't quite put his finger on where he had heard it. Dominic was definitely familiar to him, Gilbert was old enough to be on the police force when Jeralt was a teenager. He had since retired and now taught history. They had eyed each other warily at the morning's staff meeting. He hoped Gilbert's daughter wasn't planning to follow in her father's footsteps with the police when she tripped over her own feet while running across the field.

Volleyball, Jeralt had scoffed. That would not do. Rhea was unsurprisingly easy to convince, Seteth not so much. He was under the impression that kickball could result in too many injuries and judging by Annette's performance, he may have been right. This job may not be as simple as he had originally expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually had their first day lunch scene written but I lost it somewhere. I'm sure I could find it but I felt the chapter was long enough already and didn't really need it. It was mostly just Byleth eating everything in sight and Ingrid being impressed. The only semi-important but not really important thing it did was establish who drove/owns a car in the Blue Lions. (Dimitri, Sylvain, and Ashe. I figure Dimitri drives an SUV, Sylvain has a sports car, and Ashe has a beat up old Hondayota. Also if you get that reference, let's be best friends maybe?)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth is finally settling into Garreg Mach High School when "tragedy" strikes.

The weeks passed and Byleth found herself falling into a routine. School was surprisingly not bad once she had gotten used to it. She still didn't like having to wear the skirt or the rambunctiousness of most of the students. She found she liked her classmates, though, they had periods of rambunctiousness but were usually quiet enough for her. She found their excitement endearing and they seemed to find her occasional social awkwardness endearing as well. Sometimes homeroom was even quiet enough that she could read.

Dimitri had been especially helpful, explaining the occasional strange concepts that went over her home-schooled head. Like the purpose of a valedictorian that Annette frequently brought up. Her father, their history teacher, sounded like he had fairly high expectations for her. Luckily Byleth's own father didn't expect much from her when it came to grades. Byleth did pretty well, regardless. Dimitri noticed her high marks on their math test and asked her to join him in the library after school. He revealed that he spent one day each week helping to tutor some of the younger kids.

“How did this start?” she asked him. 

“Oh, well, I helped Ashe with his homework one day and he mentioned his younger brother was struggling. So I offered to take a look and the next thing you know several of his friends were asking for help as well. They were all so earnest, I couldn’t help but oblige.”

“That’s really sweet of you,” Byleth said, smiling at him warmly.

He blushed. “I hate to ask this of you, but… would you consider lending me a hand? I find I don’t have the time to help all of them.”

“You can count on me.” If she was being honest, Byleth was intrigued by the prospect of spending additional time with Dimitri more than helping children.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Settle down, everyone," Catherine said during homeroom after Byleth had been at Garreg Mach High School for a little over a month. "Sheriff Fraldarius needs to make an announcement."

Felix sighed loudly as his father entered the classroom carrying a stack of papers.

"Hello everyone," Rodrigue said. "As you may already know, Bernadetta Varley has been reported missing." He started passing out the papers he was holding, a flier with Bernadetta's face on it. "If you have any information or if you see her or hear anything about her, no matter how silly it sounds, please, please, please let us know.” He looked around the room, wondering if he really needed to make the next announcement, then thinking it couldn’t hurt. “Also, as an unrelated reminder, Hresvelg Manor is still off limits. It’s private property, not to mention in disrepair and therefore very dangerous."

Byleth stared down at the flier, a perplexed look on her face. "Do people go missing around here a lot?"

Dimitri shook his head. "Garreg Mach is usually a pretty quiet town."

"Usually," Sylvain muttered, uncharacteristically quiet.

"There was that thing with Lysithea and Hapi," Felix reminded him.

Dimitri frowned. "But they came back, unharmed."

"Two studets who were kidnapped a few years ago," Dedue explained to a confused looking Byleth.

"Bernadetta might come back," Felix countered.

Dimitri nodded, wondering if his father was involved in this yet.

"Bernadetta's not the only one missing," Sylvain commented in a low voice once Rodrigue had left. "I hope it's not related, but Miklan hasn't been home in a while."

"I thought your dad kicked him out?" Felix asked.

"He did, but..." Sylvain hesitated.

"What's going on, Sylvain?" Dimitri asked.

"He took it."

Everyone listening except Byleth gasped.

"Took what?" Byleth asked when nobody elaborated.

"The Lance of Ruin," Sylvain explained.

Byleth looked at each of them, confused. "The what?"

"It's one of the Hero's Relics of Garreg Mach," Ingrid explained.

"I suppose you wouldn't know about that, not being from Garreg Mach," Dimitri said with a frown. "It has to do with the founding of the town. They say that long ago, Saint Seiros and her followers settled here and founded the town of Garreg Mach. King Nemesis who ruled nearby claimed that Garreg Mach was part of his territory and demanded that she leave, but she refused, resulting in a great battle. The goddess bestowed divine weapons upon 10 heroes, which were then passed down to their descendants.”

"So all of you have an ancient weapon?"

They shook their heads. "Not everyone, only the descendants of the 10 Elites, the 10 major families who fought."

"I think Ashe and I are the only ones in this class who are not descended from them," Dedue commented.

“And now me,” Byleth said with a smile. 

The bell rang and they gathered their things, each of them wondering about Bernadetta and now Miklan. 

"Byleth," Catherine called. "I forgot to mention, your ID is ready to be picked up in Alois' office."

Byleth had forgotten about her student ID, it felt like so long since that first day when she had had her picture taken for it. Dimitri walked with her to Alois' office on the way to their next class, surprisingly quiet. He had a habit of filling their time with nervous chatter that Byleth found she quite enjoyed. 

"Are you worried about Bernadetta?" Byleth asked as he held the door for her.

He nodded.

"Bernadetta?" Alois asked loudly, overhearing her. "Such a tragedy."

"Tragedy?" Dimitri asked, alarmed. "I thought she was simply missing." Byleth put her hand on his shoulder, expecting terrible news.

"Yes, it's tragic that she's missing," Alois confirmed.

Both students breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alois, you made it sound like something terrible had happened to her," Byleth admonished.

"More terrible than missing?"

"Like... dead?" Byleth explained, lowering her voice on the word 'dead.'

"Oh!" Alois shouted. "Oh no!" He shook his head, digging through a pile on his desk searching for Byleth's ID. "I just hope she didn't wander into Hresvelg Manor," he mumbled, finding the ID and holding it up triumphantly.

"Why would she go there?" Dimitri asked.

"Somebody always gets the terrible idea to go there. And it always ends poorly for them."

"The sheriff mentioned that as well. What's Helsing Manor?" Byleth asked, mispronouncing the name.

"Hresvelg," Dimitri corrected, enunciating each syllable.

"Don't ever go there, Byleth!" Alois insisted. "It's haunted!"

"I'm not sure about haunted," Dimitri said. "But it's an old house that nobody has lived in for over a hundred years. It's falling apart."

"Every now and then some teenagers get the bright idea to check it out," Alois added. "And they always come back with tales of spooky things going on." He shuddered.

"We should get to class," Dimitri commented.

"Make sure you stay away from there!" Alois called again as they exited the office.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They sat morosely at lunch, mostly thinking about Bernadetta and Miklan's disappearances.

"Did anybody know Bernadetta well?" Byleth asked the group.

"She was really shy, mostly kept to herself," Ingrid explained.

"She was very observant," Felix said. Everyone turned to look at him, surprised. "She liked to take pictures."

"I think she liked to write, too," Sylvain added. "I found one of her stories in the library one time, it was really good!"

"You read it?" Annette demanded.

He shrugged. "I thought it was her English homework, but then I couldn't stop reading it." 

"Sylvain! That was private!" Mercedes admonished him.

"I know, I know. She was pretty upset when I returned it to her."

"Well, at least you returned it," Ingrid said, frowning at him. "How do you know about her photography, Felix?"

He crossed his arms, frowning at the table. "I found her bag. When I tried to give it back, it fell and some of her pictures fell out. They were pretty good. She said she develops them herself."

"You actually got her to talk?" Sylvain asked. "She mostly just yelled at me and then ran away."

"She did that the first time, that's how her bag spilled."

Everyone at the table glanced at each other, wondering about this strange and mysterious relationship.

"What sort of things did she take pictures of, Felix?" Ashe asked.

"A little bit of everything. People, buildings, cats." He wouldn't admit it, but the picture that caught his eye was one of the group of them laughing together. She had managed to catch each of them looking so happy. He had wanted to ask her for a copy of it, but she disappeared before he had a chance to.

"Buildings?" Byleth asked, looking hungrily at their food that had finally arrived. "Maybe she went to take pictures of that Hamburger House?"

Dimitri chuckled. "Hresvelg Manor," he corrected.

"That would also be a good place to hide," Sylvain added, thinking of his brother. He looked at Felix, who sighed and then nodded.

"Wait," Ingrid said, frowning at them. "I know that look. You two idiots aren't seriously considering going there, are you?"

"I can't let him go alone," Felix said, pointing his thumb at Sylvain.

"I'll go with them," Dimitri announced.

Ingrid gaped at them. "Well, then I guess I definitely have to go, too!"

"If Dimitri's going, then I'm going," Dedue said.

"I want to come, too!" Mercedes chimed in. "I've always wanted to see a ghost."

"Mercie!" Annette whined.

Everyone looked at Annette, Ashe, and Byleth. Byleth shrugged. "Is this like the Garreg Mach version of a slumber party?" She asked, using a new phrase she had picked up from a movie her father had been watching the previous weekend.

Mercedes clapped her hands. "That's a great way to think of it! We're having a slumber party in a haunted house!"

"Are the ghosts going to be invited, too?" Sylvain asked.

“No way!” Annette all but shouted, the other restaurant patrons turning to stare.

"Well, Annie, Ashe? Are you coming? Mercedes asked.

They looked at each other, frowning. "I suppose we don't have a choice," Ashe said reluctantly.

“I guess it’s a field trip, now,” Byleth said, using another one of the words she had picked up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter before we finally get to the damn ghosts. 
> 
> Also, Byleth was hungry. That's why she called it Hamburger House... probably.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blue Lions home room class heads to Hresvelg Manor in search of Bernadetta & Miklan.

Sworn to secrecy, everyone told their parents they were staying the night with the other and met up that Saturday evening armed with flashlights.

"I don't know why we had to do this at night," Annette whined while they walked around to the front of the house. They had all parked in the back, knowing Rodrigue and the other police would be patrolling nearby. "Why couldn't we go to the big scary house during the bright happy daytime?"

Felix rolled his eyes. "Why did you even come if you're just going to complain the entire time?"

"Shut up, Felix!" she shot back.

They paused, Felix and Annette even falling silent as they reached the large door.

"Does anybody have a key?" Byleth asked.

"Hmm. Perhaps we didn't think this through," Dimitri said, looking embarrassed.

"Surely there's a broken window or something," Felix said, taking a step back and looking around.

"Or just try the door," Mercedes suggested. "The ghosts might be expecting us."

"Mercie!" Annette shouted.

"Shh, you're yelling loud enough to wake the dead," Dedue teased.

"Dedue!" Ashe gasped, surprised.

Byleth took a step forward, pressing on the handle which turned easily in her hand. "It's unlocked," she said, looking back at the group.

Annette gasped. "Does that mean the ghosts are expecting us?" 

"No, somebody must already be here then," Sylvain said. "Be careful, Miklan is... well, just watch out."

Mercedes squeezed his arm.

Sylvain went first, pushing open the heavy door. "Miklan?" he called, his voice echoing off the tall walls. Everyone peered around him, shining their flashlight beams up and down the hall.

Dilapidated was a nice way to describe the house. The rug leading down the long hall was tattered, the wallpaper peeling. Planters lining the hall held either dead or overgrown plants. Dust covered everything, causing Ashe to sneeze.

"Bernadetta?" Byleth called.

"Wow," Annette whispered. "This place is super creepy."

"Should we split up?" Mercedes suggested, noticing there was a door on either side of the hall.

"Not a bad idea," Dimitri said. Dimitri, Dedue, and Byleth headed through the door on the left while Mercedes and Annette chose the door on the right, the rest of the group continuing forward. The hall opened up into a fairly large space, another door on either side, glass pane doors leading outside straight ahead, and a staircase on the right.

"Upstairs?" Ingrid suggested. She, Sylvain, and Felix headed up while Ashe thought he noticed something straight ahead.

"Um... I'm going to check outside," he suggested, sneezing again.

Ingrid looked back at him reluctantly, not wanting to leave him alone. He was more capable than Sylvain and Felix who seemed to share a brain cell sometimes, but she still felt uneasy.

"I'll be fine," he reassured her. "Besides, I need some air." He sneezed again.

"Be careful," she said, running after Sylvain and Felix.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ashe headed through the glass doors and back out into the cool, fresh air. The house was musty and damp and simply smelled bad, so this was a huge relief. The urge to sneeze instantly receded. He looked around the grounds, not much to see in the fading sunlight other than more overgrown plants. He took a few more steps forward when something caught his eye just ahead. The last remnants of sunlight glinted off the large swimming pool ahead of him and he realized this is what he must have noticed inside. It was dark enough that he could have walked straight into the pool had the light not reflected off the surface of the water.

There was a cover, but it had disintegrated over the years, leaving behind rusty bars. The water was murky, full of leaves and debris. Between the filth of the water and the increasing darkness Ashe couldn't even see the bottom of the shallow end of the pool, despite standing right next to it.

He walked around the edge of the pool, looking out into the yard for any signs that Miklan or Bernadetta had been there. This place was darker than Ashe was used to, and now clouds were moving in, obscuring any light from the moon. The sun finally fully set and Ashe turned on his flashlight, about to turn back and head inside when out of the corner of his eye he noticed a ripple of water on the surface of the pool. He turned his head and the beam of the flashlight towards the spot, frowning. The surface of the water had been disturbed, but by what?

"Probably just a bird or a falling leaf," he said out loud to himself with false cheer, taking another step towards the house. That's when he realized there was something missing. It was eerily silent - no birds, no bugs, not even any wind. The air was absolutely still. A place this far from human habitation should have been filled with the sounds of wildlife. His heart began to pound.

A small splash broke the eerie silence and Ashe searched for the source, his heart beating faster. His flashlight fell across the aftermath, water rippling across the pool. He peered closer into the pool when suddenly something gripped his ankle and he fell into the cold water.

Ashe was a strong swimmer. He and his siblings often went swimming in a nearby lake or walked to the pool in Garreg Mach during the summer. But something or someone was in the pool with him, he quickly realized. He immediately tried to kick to the surface, only to be pulled back down. He looked around, searching for the mysterious force, only catching glimpses of a long purple braid. His brain, already suffering from a lack of oxygen, immediately thought "mermaid." And when he finally faced his attacker, a girl attached to the long braid, mermaid seemed an accurate description. She was beautiful in an otherworldly way. She smiled at him and for just a moment he stopped struggling, content to look at her instead of breathe. Perhaps siren was a more accurate description.

Ashe's body overpowered him, however, and he tried to swim for the surface again, desperate for oxygen. The girl, surprisingly strong, gripped him, holding him down and shaking her head.

"Stay with me," he heard her say as clearly as if they weren't underwater. "I will be making your dreams come true."

Ashe nodded reluctantly, his vision going black around the edges. She turned suddenly, as if alerted by a noise, and then disappeared.

"Wait!" Ashe tried to call, swimming forward. He reached the surface finally, choking, and pulled himself over the edge.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Wow, isn't this a lovely kitchen?" Mercedes asked Annette. "Think of all the sweets we could bake in here!"

Annette shined her flashlight into the cobweb filled corners, significantly less impressed. "Ew, is that mold?" she asked.

"Oh, Annie. You should try looking on the bright side for once." Her flashlight trailed across the wall of stoves and ovens, enough to cook a feast for an army. “I could bake everyone a cake at once!”

“And how about some tea to go with those cakes?” an unfamiliar male voice asked from the other side of the kitchen.

Two flashlight beams lit up the red haired boy holding a teapot. Mercedes and Annette could only gape as they watched him pour the steaming liquid into three cups sitting neatly on saucers that had appeared on the large table in the corner.

“M-m-mercie, you see that, right?” Annette asked, shaking.

“Mmm-hmm…,” Mercedes said sounding much more calm than she actually was. “Just remember that ghosts prey on fear,” she advised her friend. “You just have to be confident.”

“Confident…” Annette said slowly. “Okay… I’M NOT AFRAID OF YOU!” she screamed at boy.

He took a step back, eyes wide. “Well, that is good to know,” he said, his wide smile wavering.

“Might I ask who you are?” Mercedes asked.

“Oh, please excuse me. My name is Ferdinand von Aegir!” he announced with a flourishing bow. “And it is my absolute pleasure to be having tea in the company of two ladies just as lovely as you both are!”

Mercedes and Annette glanced at each other and shrugged, Annette feeling less afraid now. This was not the ghostly experience either of them had been expecting.

“Tea does sound lovely,” Mercedes admitted. They took their seats at the table.

Ferdinand took a long sip of his tea while the girls were a little more reluctant. Annette lifted her cup, about to take a sip when a spider came crawling out of it. She shrieked, dropping the cup instantly. It shattered on the table, hot tea spilling.

“Oh dear!” Ferdinand said.

“Annie?” Mercedes asked sitting her own cup back down, worried.

“S-spider!”

Mercedes lifted her cup again and peered into it, frowning. “Where did you get these cups from, um, Ferdinand, was it? They are absolutely filthy.”

He coughed. “Are they now?” he asked with some difficulty, continuing to cough.

“Are you alright?” Mercedes asked. “You don’t sound too good.”

“Please, don't mind me. Drink!” He grasped at his throat, clearly unable to breathe.

“I didn’t think ghosts needed to breathe,” Mercedes said curiously, standing to pound on his back.

“Mercie, I think it’s the tea,” Annette said, frowning at the spider that had skittered across the table and was now curling in on itself. “I think it might be poisoned.”

Ferdinand fell to the floor, blood running from his eyes, nose, and mouth.

“Please tell me you didn’t drink any of it!” Annette cried, looking down at him horrified.  
“Me? Oh, dear no.” Mercedes frowned as Ferdinand disappeared.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sylvain thought he heard singing as he headed up the stairs. He didn’t notice Ingrid hesitating or Felix turning the opposite way from him, just followed the alluring voice down the long hallway. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but he could swear he saw some lovely hips sashaying around the corner, and he definitely saw long dark hair disappearing around it. His brother forgotten, he moved faster.

“Sylvain!” Ingrid called. She heard the voice as well, saw the hair. She glanced back at Felix, deciding he could probably take care of himself… Probably. Sylvain needed more help, especially if there was a girl involved. A girl with a voice this lovely surely had a face to match. She bumped into his back as they reached the end of the hallway.

Sylvain glanced, surprised to find her there. “Did she go in here?” Ingrid asked, gesturing towards the door in front of them.

“I guess so…” he said. “There’s nowhere else to go.”

“Maybe she’s seen your brother or Bernadetta.”

Sylvain opened the door and suddenly the singing was very loud, the mysterious girl standing in the middle of the room. Dead or overgrown plants lined each of the two glass covered exterior walls. The room was moist, decaying leaves scattered across the floor. A door to a balcony stood open, the moon trying to shine inside through the clouds.

“Excuse me, miss, are you lost?” Sylvain asked loudly. Ingrid put her hand on his shoulder, feeling uneasy.

The girl continued to sing, turning to show her beautiful face. Blood poured from her cut throat, soaking her clothes and splashing onto the floor.

Ingrid gasped, taking a step back and pulling Sylvain with her. Sylvain froze for just a moment, then tried to take a step forward. Ingrid held his arm tightly.

"What are you doing?" he demanded. "She needs help!" 

"Sylvain, I think it's a little too late for her."

"Come to me," the girl said, stopping her song. "We can be together forever." She winked at Ingrid. "All three of us."

Sylvain shook off Ingrid's grip and stepped towards the girl.

"There you go," the girl said, taking a subtle step back. "It's so lonely here. I haven't seen any boys as good-looking as you in so long."

Ingrid watched in horror as the girl backed towards the balcony door, Sylvain following as if in a trance.

"And you, so pretty," the girl said looking at Ingrid. "You deserve so much more. Let me show you." She held out her hand to Ingrid and Ingrid found she wanted to take it. "I can tell you're hurting." Ingrid _was_ hurting. It was difficult to be away from Glenn for so long. And the more busy he was at university, the harder it was for him to find time to even talk to her on the phone. Their Sunday night phone calls seemed to be getting shorter and shorter. Ingrid couldn't help but worry that she would be replaced before too long.

The girl froze suddenly, a frown on her beautiful face. "I have to go," she pouted. "Come see me again?" she added with an alluring smile. She gave them a small wave and then disappeared.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Felix didn’t hear the singing and ignored Sylvain as he opened a nearby door instead of following his friend down the hall. The door led into a large study, fireplace nestled on one side, large desk next to it. It was cozy, he guessed. It reminded him of Lambert's office which he had spent a lot of time playing in with Dimitri when they were younger. Bookcases lined the walls turning the room into one huge fire hazard if someone wasn’t paying attention to that fireplace.

It smelled like a fire had been burning recently and Felix looked around suspiciously. This would be a good place to hide, to keep warm. It was chilly both inside and outside, so if someone was trying to hide…

Out of the corner of his eye, Felix saw something move across the room quickly. He turned towards it, backing up into the opposite corner between the desk and fireplace. Felix saw the motion again, just a blurry figure running across the room, closer to him now.

“Who’s there?!” he asked, backing up towards the fireplace to reach for one of the tools.

There was a laugh and the blurry figure stopped, coming into focus. A boy stood in the middle of the room with light blue hair and wearing the school uniform.

Felix took another step towards the fireplace tools, keeping his eyes on the boy. Unfortunately, ghosts don’t always follow the laws of physics, so in a blink, the boy was suddenly standing closer to him. Felix jumped back, surprised. Quickly regaining his bearings, he leapt towards the boy who was standing directly in front of the fireplace now.

A pair of surprisingly strong arms gripped him around the waist and pulled him back just as the fireplace roared to life with fire. “Felix!” a girl shouted, letting go of his waist to grab his arm and drag him back. He let himself be pulled underneath the desk.

"Hey, no fair!" the boy shouted.

“Bernadetta!” Felix exclaimed, recognizing his savior. “Are you alright?”

“Why are you here?” she demanded.

“Me? Why are you here?”

“I wanted to take some pictures but then all these ghosts showed up so I hid.”

“You hid?” Felix paused, frowning. “Wait, are you a ghost, too?”

“What?! No! Of course not! But if you’re here… then that can only mean that YOU’RE a ghost!”

“No, you fool,” he said, grabbing her shoulders and proving again that he was solid. “We came looking for you. And Miklan.” The boy laughed again and Felix could hear the fire roaring. “Are we safe down here?”

Bernadetta nodded. “As safe as you can be in this house.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dimitri, Dedue, and Byleth all found themselves in the formal dining room. Byleth wandered in one direction, already bored with the room and heading through a door on the adjacent wall.

“I wonder how these got here,” Dedue said, gesturing towards a pile of leaves in one corner of the room.

“I suppose a window was open at one point?” Dimitri suggested, shining his flashlight on the decaying drapes covering the large windows. His flashlight beam shone on the window, revealing a boy with black hair and old fashioned clothes in the reflection. Dimitri jumped, spinning on his heel.

“Dimitri?” Dedue asked.

“It’s… nothing,” Dimitri said, trying to calm his heart. “I guess the stories got to me, I thought I saw someone.”

“Hmm.”

Dimitri shone his flashlight around the room, revealing no one else. “Wait, where’s Byleth?”

“She went through the door over-” Dedue pointed his flashlight towards the door across the room, revealing the boy Dimitri saw in the reflection suddenly standing in front of it. His crisp white shirt was covered in dark splotches.

“My lady does not care for intruders,” the boy said in a tone that could only be described as sinister.

“We did not mean to intrude,” Dimitri said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. “We are only searching for a couple of missing people.”

“All who wander into Hresvelg Manor meet an untimely doom.”

“So the stories go,” Dedue said, frowning. “Are you the reason for that?”

A chilling laugh filled the room. 

“Go find Byleth,” Dedue said quietly so only Dimitri could hear. Dimitri nodded, amazed at his friend’s calm demeanor. Dedue took a step around the large dining table, the boy mirroring him. Dimitri ran through the door before the ghost could block it again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Byleth went through the door and into a large parlor. It was a cozy looking room probably for entertaining with chairs and couches and even a grand piano tucked away in one corner. Art adorned the walls and a window let in the moonlight which shone on the rug in the middle of the floor. Something hanging on the wall between paintings caught her eye and she headed towards it to take a closer look.

Byleth stared fixated at the intricately carved wooden mural. The design looked like swirls and lines, but upon closer inspection those swirls and lines were actually figures wielding weapons. It was like a great battle scene from one of her fantasy novels. She reached out to touch the thick wood, running her fingers across the designs.

“Does that piece interest you?” a female voice asked from behind her.

Byleth whirled, her flashlight illuminating a girl standing in the middle of the rug. Clouds had obscured the moon, leaving the room in pitch black darkness. The girl took a step towards her.

Byleth gasped, taking a step back. The girl’s hair was white, but it was hard to tell because she was absolutely _covered_ in blood. Byleth's heart began to pound, terror overtaking her. The blood covered girl took another step towards Byleth who now stood frozen in place, shaking.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "Why are you in my house?" She reached for Byleth, close enough that Byleth could feel icy cold emanating from her.

Suddenly Dimitri was there, his warm body partially curled around Byleth. He stood between Byleth and the other girl defiantly. "Leave her alone!" He demanded.

The girl bared her teeth at him. "Stay out of this," she hissed.

"If you want to hurt someone, then hurt me."

"Hurt her?" the girl asked, a confused look crossing her face.

Byleth finally unfroze, clinging to Dimitri and gripping his shirt tightly.

The girl took a step back, frowning. “I see how it is then,” she said before disappearing.

"Byleth?" Dimitri asked, turning fully towards her.

"I-is she gone?" she asked shakily, reluctantly removing her grip from his shirt.

"I believe so." he raised his fingers to her lips, brushing them gently. The touch, however brief, was comfortingly warm after the ghost's iciness. "Are you alright?" he asked, showing her his bloody fingers.

"Oh... I guess I bit my lip."

“I’m sorry,” Dimitri said, blushing, realizing what he had just done. “I shouldn’t have been so forward.”

She looked from his fingers back up at him. "Thank you," she said before suddenly leaning forward and kissing him firmly on the lips.

Too shocked to react, Dimitri froze. The kiss was brief, Byleth pulling away once she realized what she had done. She looked up at him, eyes wide. The look in Dimitri's eyes was warm, softer than she'd ever seen before. He leaned down, hesitating just close enough that she could feel his warm breath on her lips. His eyes searched hers, looking for permission. She was about to lean into him when Dedue burst through the door.

"Dimitri! I think he's gone. Is everything alri-" he cut off, seeing he was interrupting.

Byleth and Dimitri jumped apart, blushing fiercely.

"I'm sorry," Dedue said, his own face turning red. "I'll just go..." he trailed off, pointing back towards the room he had just come from.

"No," Dimitri said reluctantly, knowing there was no way to get the moment back. "We should stick together."

Byleth nodded, giving Dedue a reassuring smile. "He's right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, a long chapter to make up for the last one. I thought about breaking this one up, but it just isn't very breakable.
> 
> Sorry for, you know, killing everyone? 
> 
> Also, is Petra's hair purple? Or pink? I guess mauve.
> 
> Also also, I'm bad at pining. LET PEOPLE KISS ALREADY!
> 
> Also, also, also... does anyone else feel like I'm forgetting somebody? ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrapping up their halfway successful mission at Hresvelg House, the Blue Lions look for a place to spend the night.  
> Also, Byleth and her father have a discussion about haunted houses and cute boys and Byleth has a strange dream.

Dimitri, Byleth, and Dedue regrouped with the others who each had a story to tell about the ghosts they had encountered. Dedue gave Ashe, who was still dripping wet, his coat which was comically large on him.

“I’m sorry guys,” Sylvain said, looking around the group. “It was a terrible idea to come here. And we haven’t even seen my brother.”

“Where’s Felix?” Ingrid asked, looking around.

“I thought he was with you two,” Dimitri said.

“No, he separated from us upstairs,” Ingrid explained.

“Oh no, I hope he’s alright,” Sylvain said, frowning at the stairs.

“We should go look for him,” Dimitri said firmly.

“But we should all stay together this time,” Ashe suggested. 

“I agree,” Mercedes said.

“Maybe if we’re in a big group the ghosts will leave us alone!” Annette said.

They headed up the stairs, turning the opposite way Ingrid and Sylvain had gone. Dimitri, in the lead, opened the door to the study slowly, expecting the worse and wincing back. They heard hushed voices whispering and looked around at each other, frowning.

"Felix?" Dimitri asked. The whispering stopped.

"No, don't go!" came a whine in the direction of the desk.

Felix poked his head from under the desk, looking around the room cautiously. "Dimitri?"

"Oh thank goodness," Ingrid breathed in relief. "You're alright."

"Yeah, look who I found, too," he said, pulling Bernadetta out.

Everyone relayed their ghost experiences again while Bernadetta explained what she had been doing in the house.

"So you've basically been playing hide and seek with ghosts for over a week now?" Annette asked, amazed. "How did you not starve?"

Bernadetta shrugged. "I packed some food."

"I wonder why some of the ghosts seem more hostile than others," Mercedes said curiously, stepping towards the fireplace. Sylvain placed a hand on her arm, stopping her before she could get too close.

"They're mostly lonely," an unfamiliar male voice said from across the room.

They all turned to look at a boy with a long green hair pulling a book down from the bookcase.

"How long have you been there?" Felix demanded.

The boy looked up at them, seeming mostly uninterested with the conversation. "What year is it?" he asked.

"1180," Dimitri told him.

"Is it really? Wow. 35 years and I still haven't read every book in this place." He glanced to the side like many of the other ghosts had done and frowned. A bone was sticking out of his neck.

"You've really been here for 35 years?" Mercedes asked.

"Mmm-hmm. Unfortunately she calls, however," he sighed. "This is why I don't ever get any studying done," he muttered, walking towards the door and slowly disappearing.

"Well," Ingrid said with a frown. "He was... pleasant, I think. In comparison at least." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was unanimously decided that they would not be staying the night in Hresvelg Manor so instead the group stood on the lawn and tried to figure out their next steps. 

"I can't just go home!" Annette protested. My parents think I'm staying at Mercie's!"

"And my mother thinks I'm staying at Annie's," Mercedes said with a frown.

"We didn't really think this through..." Ashe added.

"We need to find a way to avoid too many questions," Felix said. "My dad will kill us all if he knows we were out here. Why don't you rent us all hotel rooms?" he suggested to Dimitri.

"A charge that size on the credit card bill will raise questions. Plus, I believe you have to be eighteen."

"Let's go to the barns at Ingrid's," Sylvain suggested.

"We aren't kids anymore," Felix sniped.

"No, that's actually a good idea," Ingrid said. "We can go in through the back so nobody will notice."

"Are those things still even standing?" Felix asked.

Ingrid nodded. "I go out there all the time," she said.

"Why?"

"Don't worry about why," Ingrid said, blushing.

Felix looked at her curiously but didn't press the issue. He borrowed Sylvain’s car to take Bernadetta home before meeting them back at the barns. 

At the barns, they broke off into small groups, getting comfortable and whispering to each other about what had happened. Dimitri led Byleth to a quiet corner, finding a pillow and blanket for her.

"We used to have sleepovers here when we were children," he explained. "I apologize, it's not the most comfortable place to sleep."

Byleth sat on the ground, pulling her knees to her chest. Dimitri wrapped the blanket around her shoulders when he noticed she was shivering a little. She smiled at him.

“I can take you home if you’d like?” 

Byleth shook her head. “No, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

“Alright… Well, I guess I’ll let you get some sleep.” Dimitri turned to leave but Byleth grabbed his hand. 

“Wait, will you stay here with me?”

He turned back and simply nodded, afraid of the words that might come tumbling out if he opened his mouth. He got his own pillow and the blanket he had preferred when he slept out here as a child - an old blue one with a griffon on it - and tried to make up his own bed a respectable distance from Byleth before lying frozen next to her. He wasn’t going to be able to sleep, not with her this close to him.

They lay in silence for several moments until Byleth shifted, sighing, then rolled onto her side to see Dimitri in a similar position, watching her carefully.

"You can't sleep either?" she asked with a half smile.

He shook his head. "Are you alright? Earlier, you seemed quite upset..."

"I'm fine. It's just... blood," she shuddered at the memory. "I'm not a fan of it.

He nodded. "That's understandable."

"And that ghost... The way she looked at me was a little unnerving."

"She did seem quite fixated on you," he admitted. "I don't think she even noticed me until I jumped between you."

"Thank you, again." She reached out and took his hand.

Dimitri swallowed hard, feeling his heart pounding harder than it had earlier when he had been surrounded by ghosts. "Anytime," he said.

The wind outside suddenly gusted, causing the barn to creak loudly. Byleth squeezed her eyes tightly shut. He noticed her hand in his was shaking as well.

"Byleth?" he asked, squeezing her hand gently.

She opened her eyes, looking at him with a desperate fear. "It's alright," he reassured her. "You don't have to be afraid."

She nodded, then let go of his hand and shifted closer to him. He held very still as she leaned her head and hands against his chest, then slowly wrapped his arms around her. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dimitri was wrong, he had slept. Quite well, in fact, better than he had in a long time. He had a feeling that might have something to do with the girl who had fallen asleep in his arms. They had separated in the night and now she lay inches from him, still close enough he could feel the warmth radiating from her body. 

The sun began to creep over the horizon, lighting up the interior of the barn and Dimitri got up reluctantly, putting away his pillow and blanket. When he returned, Byleth was blinking awake. They joined the others after a brief exchange, everyone going their separate ways and working out car arrangements. Sylvain and Ashe were able to fit everyone in their cars and Ingrid opted to walk the rest of the way home, leaving only Dimitri and Byleth. Byleth couldn’t help but wonder if that was planned.

"I apologize for everything that happened last night," Dimitri said once they were sitting in his car.

"It's not your fault," Byleth said.

"Still, I feel responsible for you getting mixed up in it all." He stared down at the keys in his hand as if they were an unfamiliar artifact from a different time period.

Byleth sighed, realizing there was no reasoning with him.

"At least let me buy you breakfast to make up for it," he suggested, looking up at her with a warm smile.

"I'm not really all that hungry," she admitted reluctantly. 

His face fell. "Oh, of course," he said, turning from her quickly and starting the car.

The disappointment on his face was too much. Besides, she wasn't ready to part from him just yet. "But I wouldn't say no to some coffee."

The smile returned to his face. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Dimitri took her to a local coffee shop where they found a quiet table tucked away in the corner. They drank coffee and ate pastries, discussing everything except what had happened the night before. It was too short of a time before Byleth reluctantly suggested he should probably take her home.

They pulled into her driveway and Dimitri started nervously picking at a loose thread on his pants. Byleth's hand covered his suddenly and he froze. "I really like you, Dimitri," she said, biting her lip.

He turned his head to look at her through his hair, feeling his face turning red. "I really like you, too, Byleth..." 

She smiled and his heart stuttered. "Can... Can I kiss you?" he asked, holding his breath waiting for her answer.

"Yes," she breathed.

He swallowed hard and then lifted his free hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. He brushed his fingers along her jawline, tilting her chin just slightly before finally leaning in to kiss her softly. She squeezed the hand she still held and leaned in closer when he started to pull away, drawing him back to her.

Byleth froze upon hearing the familiar "thwack" of the screen door closing, looking up at Dimitri with wide eyes. He pulled back slowly, looking confused. "Is everything alright?" He followed her eyes as they glanced towards the porch.

"Oh!" he said, jumping back. Her father was standing there, arms crossed over his chest, a frown on his face.

"I should go," Byleth said. "Thank you for the ride and the coffee and... everything." She gave him a quick smile before sliding towards the door.

"Wait, should I say something to him?"

"Um, no. I don't think that would be a good idea right now. You should go. I'll see you tomorrow," she promised before exiting the car.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Byleth slipped past Jeralt on her way inside the small house, keeping her eyes down. 

“Are you going to explain that to me?” he asked, closing the door and turning towards her. 

She turned, feeling her face heat up. “I’m not sure what there is to explain?”

Jeralt sighed. “You were supposed to be staying the night at Ingrid’s and now the mayor’s son is driving you home!”

“Oh… that.” She brought up her hand to touch her bottom lip, still feeling the ghost of Dimitri’s lips. She decided honesty was going to be the best policy in this case. “It was actually a group thing, last night we went to this old house. Dimitri asked if he could buy me a coffee and drive me home this morning. That's all.”

“Wait,” Jeralt said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What house?”

“Hmm?” she was surprised this was the part of her explanation he was fixated on. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she knew she probably shouldn’t tell him that she had spent the night next to Dimitri, no matter how innocent it had all been. “Dad, I’m sorry for not being entirely honest, but nothing happened with Dimitri, I promise.”

“We’ll get to that. What house did you go to?” Jeralt asked impatiently.

“Hresvelg Manor?” She finally said it properly but it came out sounding like more of a question than an answer. 

“Byleth,” he said seriously, taking hold of her shoulders. “Do not ever go anywhere near that house again, do you understand me?”

Her eyes widened and she chuckled awkwardly. “Dad, I wasn’t expecting you to believe in superstitions like that…”

Jeralt sighed, turning away. “There’s a lot that you don’t know about this town. But that house is dangerous. When I was growing up here, a kid from my school died there.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know the details,” he lied. 

Finally weaseling her way away from her father after a lecture on the intentions of boys no matter how cute and sweet they might seem, Byleth shut the door to her room firmly, wondering about what he had said about Hresvelg Manor. She went to her dresser where she had hid the old yearbooks she had found in the attic after learning about her father’s past that first day of school. Sure enough, on one of the first pages of the yearbook for 1162 (her father’s senior year) was a memorial for a student, Caspar Bergliez. She stuffed the yearbook into her bag, excited to show the others. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Byleth found herself back in Hresvelg Manor, staring at the wood carving again.

"Why are you so interested in that?" the ghost asked from behind her.

Byleth jumped in surprise, turning around. This time, however, the ghost was not covered in blood and her hair was brown instead of white. The room was different, too, fresher. The wallpaper was no longer peeling, dust no longer covered everything. The colors of the rug in the middle of the room were bright instead of dull and faded with time. A bouquet of fresh red roses sat on a table in the corner.

"I know I made you uncomfortable before. I hope this is better?"

Byleth nodded. "Much better."

"I apologize for upsetting you."

Byleth swallowed hard. "It's alright... Am I dead?"

"What? Of course not. This is only a dream."

"You seem like so much more than my imagination, though."

"I am," she said, walking around the room. "We're connected now."

"Connected? How? Why?"

"The blood the boy found on your face. It was mine."

"Oh."

"This location is all you, however. I would rather not meet in such a place."

Byleth looked around the room again. "It's nicer than I remember, though."

"I think it's actually a combination of us. You dreamed of the mural, I created the rest of the room."

"Do you do this often?"

"No," she admitted. "But back to the mural - why are you so interested in it?"

Byleth shrugged. "It's interesting. It reminds me of something from a book."

The ghost scoffed. "Surely that's not all. Are you affiliated with the society?"

"What society?"

"I suppose that answers my question, then."

Byleth frowned. "What is 'the society'?"

"Don't worry about it. Perhaps it has been long enough that they are all gone now... Though I doubt that." She looked at Byleth a little wistfully. "You should stay away from my house."

Byleth awoke with a gasp, shivering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In game canon: badass mercenary cutting mofo's down with her sexy whip sword
> 
> Melissa's modern AU: socially awkward fantasy reading nerd with a fear of blood
> 
> Barn hc's: Ingrid's ranch owning family has been struggling, kinda like in game. They've sold off large pieces of land over the years and a barn or two sit mostly abandoned at the back of the property. Cool place for kids to hang out, but it's been a while since the Faerghus Four have.  
> She and Glenn spent time there together more recently - that's what she was avoiding in that conversation. Make of that what you will.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blue Lions begin to research old yearbooks in the school library.  
> Byleth & Dimitri begin to date under the ever watchful eye of Jeralt who is not happy about the situation.

"Good morning, Byleth," Dimitri said warmly, standing in front of the bench she was sitting on the next morning.

Byleth looked up from the book she had been reading and smiled at him. "Good morning, Dimitri."

His chest constricted at her smile and he seemed to forget how to breathe for a moment, simply staring at her.

"Late night?" she asked, gesturing towards the two coffees in his hands.

"Hmm? Oh!" He handed one of the drinks to her. "This one is for you."

"Thank you," she said, taking the drink. Their fingers brushed and he felt an electric jolt go through his arm.

"I'm surprised to find you here so early," he commented.

"Oh, my father drives me and he has to be here early for a staff meeting on Monday’s, so..." She gestured for him to sit next to her.

"Ah," he said, taking the offered seat. He left quite a bit of space between them, not wanting to make any presumptions. Byleth inched closer to him.

"Maybe... Maybe I could start giving you a ride instead?" he suggested, sitting very still. "If you would not be opposed."

"I would like that... if it's not too much trouble for you." She inched even closer, her knee brushing his now.

"No, no. No trouble at all!"

She sighed, looking down at his hands in his lap. How many signs did she have to send him?

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

She bit her lip. "I'm just not sure how to do this."

"How to do what?"

Her face reddened and she decided to try being direct again as that had seemed to work in the past. "I like you, Dimitri," she reminded him. “Did you forget?”

His heart began to pound in his chest and he looked at the ground. "No! Of course not. I like you, too, Byleth. I'm afraid I don't have much experience in these endeavors myself." He looked up at her with a frown. "Is there something you would like to do?" He hoped she would suggest kissing some more.

"I... I just have this overwhelming desire to touch you."

He sucked in his breath, his heart stuttering wildly now. It wasn’t kissing, but it was definitely something. "Let's start with this," he suggested, his voice shaky. He reached across and took one of her hands in his, linking their fingers.

She sighed, smiling. "I like this." He smiled back, mesmerized by the look on her face.

"Oh!" she said suddenly. "There's something I need to show you... and the others."

"Oh?"

She reluctantly let go of his hand to dig through her bag and pull out the old yearbook, showing him the memorial page. "My father had a strange reaction when I told him where I'd been. He mentioned that someone from his class had died there. I bet this was him."

"Hmm," Dimitri said, peering at the picture. "Maybe he's one of the ghosts one of the others saw?"

"That's what I was wondering."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In homeroom they learned that Miklan had been found alive, far away from Hresvelg Manor. He was currently under house arrest. They also learned that Caspar Bergliez was the ghost that Felix and Bernadetta had encountered in the library.

"You know," Mercedes said, a finger on her chin thoughtfully, "each of the ghosts we saw were fairly young. I wonder if they were all students here?"

"There are old yearbooks in the library!" Annette said excitedly. "We should go look!"

"Why does it matter?" Felix asked. "Who cares if we know the names of the stupid ghosts we saw?"

"Don't you want to know more?" Ingrid asked.

"Maybe we can help them!" Ashe suggested.

“They’re all there for a reason,” Dedue said wisely. “Perhaps if can we learn why, we can keep others from joining them. Bernadetta got lucky,” he reminded Felix. 

“Bernadetta was smart,” Felix countered.

“She would have starved to death if she stayed there much longer,” Byleth said gently.

“Or she might have tried to eat food in the house,” Annette said, remembering Ferdinand and shivering.

Dimitri got permission from Catherine and the group headed to the library. Tomas, the librarian, led them to the archival yearbooks and they each took a pile and began to browse. Annette and Mercedes headed towards the nearby microfiche area to look through old newspapers from 1162, hoping to find more information on Caspar Bergliez. 

Caspar’s memorial page in the yearbook said nothing about what had actually happened to him - only listed his achievements at the school. After seeing the picture, they realized they had seen him before in many of the pictures in the display case with Jeralt. He and Jeralt had made quite the duo. 

“How far back do we need to go?” Sylvain asked, looking at his own pile of yearbooks, the oldest stack the library had from 90 years prior. 

“How old is Riesling House?” Byleth asked, mispronouncing it again. 

“Hresvelg Manor,” Dimitri corrected her with a smile. “I believe it’s over a hundred years old.”

“I guess Hresvelg is a name?”

Dimitri nodded. “The Hresvelg’s are one of the oldest families in Garreg Mach. It’s said they were the first family to receive a Hero’s Relic.”

Byleth nodded. “Where are they now? Obviously not living in that house.”

“I believe they’re all dead.”

“Nope,” Mercedes said. “One of them is in the hospital, an old man. My mom is a doctor,” she explained to Byleth. “She says he’s really out of it, though. Probably dementia. Nobody’s quite sure just how old he actually is.”

Byleth frowned. “So I guess he won’t be any help.”

“What if it’s not dementia?” Annette suggested excitedly.

Tomas cleared his throat from the other side of the room. She lowered her voice. “What if he lived in the house and the ghosts drove him crazy?”

“Hey, guys, I think I found something,” Ingrid said, pointing to the yearbook she was looking at. 

Ashe gasped, looking at the page. “That’s the ghost I saw!”

“Petra Macneary,” Ingrid said. “It says here that she was an exchange student with Brigid.”

“What year is that?” Byleth asked, pulling out a notebook. 

“1127.”

Annette sighed. “I’ll look for the microfiche for that year.”

“Are you familiar with Brigid?” Dimitri asked Byleth.

She nodded. “We were stationed there for a little while. It’s beautiful.”

“I heard it’s really warm,” Sylvain commented, flipping lazily through his stack. 

“It is,” Byleth agreed, remembering the shivering cold from her dream. “It was a bit much sometimes.”

Sylvain gasped. “Found her!” 

Ingrid looked over at his yearbook. “1096 - Dorothea Arnault. Wow, this really does go back a long time.”

Byleth added the entry to her notebook just as Annette came back with the microfiche for 1127.

“I’m not sure we’re going to have time to go through all this microfiche today,” Mercedes noted.

“Well, once we have the dates, we can come back and work on that,” Dimitri said. 

“I found the guy in the library,” Felix said. “1145, Linhardt Hevring.”

“He did say he’d been there for 35 years,” Dedue noted. 

They found a few more students who had died but none of them recognized them as the ghosts they had seen. Finally, Byleth found Ferdinand von Aegir who had died in 1112. 

Dimitri closed the last yearbook in his pile. “Well, we found all of them except for the boy Dedue and I saw and the girl with Byleth.” Byleth shivered and Dimitri took her hand underneath the table, squeezing it gently. 

They made photocopies of each of the memorial pages and Felix offered to show the ones nobody recognized to Bernadetta, who did not recognize them either. They spent most of the rest of the week searching through microfiche for more information on the deaths of the students. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much more information to be found in the newspaper articles. Few of them even mentioned if the bodies had been found in Hresvelg Manor. 

Byleth also kept an eye out for any information on the Hresvelg family, but there was absolutely nothing, not even a reference to the man Mercedes had mentioned. She thought this curious, but wasn’t sure what to do with that information either. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Byleth continued to have dreams about the girl from the house, whom she learned was named Edelgard. She mostly avoided Byleth’s questions about what had happened to her or the other ghosts in the house, preferring for Byleth to talk about herself during these “meetings.” Byleth tried telling her about her new relationship with Dimitri but Edelgard sighed, looking away every time Byleth brought him up. 

“Boys only care about one thing,” Edelgard told her during one of their meetings. “I’d be careful if I were you. It doesn’t matter how sincere he seems.”

Byleth was surprised at her hostility. “Do you know something I don’t?”

Edelgard shrugged. “I just know how boys are.” 

Jeralt seemed to share Edelgard’s opinion, sighing each time Dimitri knocked on their front door. He kept a close eye on the two, restricting Byleth’s movements both inside and outside of the house. 

They were allowed to do homework after school in Byleth’s room - with the door wide open. He made it a point to walk by the open door regularly. Dimitri had to leave by 7:30.

They were allowed to go out on dates on the weekend, as long as Byleth was home by dark or 8:00 - whichever came first. With winter fast approaching, the days grew shorter and shorter and Byleth and Dimitri found their weekend time together extremely limited.

Under absolutely no circumstance was Byleth allowed to go to Dimitri’s house. Dimitri tried inviting the both of them to dinner at his house, but Jeralt always had an excuse. 

“I think he’s just uncomfortable since your dad is the mayor,” Byleth explained one day after school, lying on her stomach across her bed. 

Dimitri sat on the floor facing her, his fingers playing with a strand of her hair. “Does that make you uncomfortable?” he asked her. 

She shrugged. “It is a little intimidating, I guess.”

Dimitri frowned. 

“I mean, I know he’s just a person. But he’s also an important person.”

“He’s just my dad,” Dimitri said. “He’s important to me… and so are you.”

Byleth smiled, shifting forward a little closer to the edge of the bed to kiss him. Her lips lingered on his, addicted to this new feeling, this ability to touch him and kiss him (almost) whenever she wanted to. 

The floor creaked and they shifted back from each other, Dimitri pointing at his math book that lay open on the floor. “What’s the Pythagorean Theorem?” he asked her. 

“A squared plus B squared equals C squared,” she answered. 

“Wouldn’t you kids be more comfortable at the dining table?” Jeralt asked, crossing his arms and leaning against her doorway.

“I’m comfortable,” Byleth said. “What about you, Dimitri?”

“I appreciate your concern, but I am quite comfortable, Mr. Eisner,” he answered with a smile. 

Jeralt sighed. “It’s getting late,” he pointed out before leaving.

Byleth glanced at the clock and made a face. “I don’t want you to leave,” she pouted.

He leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “Neither do I.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Byleth was doing the dishes when she heard the phone ringing after Dimitri had left. Shortly after, Jeralt was standing in the kitchen, frowning at her. “You can go to there for dinner Friday night,” he said unhappily. 

She looked up at him confused. “What?”

“To the Blaiddyd’s. The Mayor just called to _request your presence_.”

“To ‘request my presence?’” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“That is literally what he said. I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into, kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeralt's rules for Byleth's love life are actually quite similar to my own in high school when I had a boyfriend except neither of us drove so we really only saw each other at school. Which gave him plenty of time for philandering. :/


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth has dinner with the Blaiddyd's and catches the attention of Dimitri's stepmother.

Byleth tugged on her dress, standing on the porch of Dimitri's very large house while her dad pulled around the circle drive, waving to her. The dress was shorter than her school skirt, increasing her irrational fear of exposing her backside. She still wore her tights underneath it, just in case. She shivered, wishing she had grabbed a sweater or something. The short sleeves of the dress fell just off her shoulders, exposing her collarbones. She rang the doorbell and the door opened almost immediately, causing her to jump.

"Byleth!" Dimitri greeted her with a huge smile on his face.

She chuckled. "Were you waiting on the other side?"

He blushed. "Maybe," he admitted. His eyes caught on her dress and he looked her up and down. "You look so beautiful," he breathed, his warm hands coming up to her mostly bare shoulders.

It was her turn to blush. "It's not too much?" she asked.

"Definitely not." He pulled her to him, giving her a kiss that took her breath away.

A throat cleared and Dimitri pulled away from her, blushing fiercely.

"Are you going to leave the poor girl in the doorway all night?" an amused voice asked.

"Of course not," Dimitri said, sounding abashed. "Please, come inside, Byleth."

Byleth stepped across the threshold, finally entering the formerly forbidden house.

"This is our housekeeper, Ms. Isaac," he said, gesturing to the woman who had spoken.

"Hello dear," Ms. Isaac greeted Byleth. "It's so nice to finally meet you."

"Hello," Byleth said, smiling.

Pleasantries exchanged, Ms. Isaac went on to continue her work.

"You have a housekeeper?" Byleth asked, eyebrows raised.

Dimitri blushed again. "Yes, well..."

"I suppose this is a rather large house. It's almost like a castle, really. It makes sense that you would need help maintaining it." Her eyes were drawn to a giant portrait hanging in the foyer. It depicted a family of three, including one large eyed blonde boy.

"Don't look at that!" Dimitri said, taking her shoulders and guiding her away.

Byleth laughed. "Yes, your Highness,” she teased.

Dimitri led her down the hall and into a large room. Byleth wasn't sure the function of such a large room, but found herself drawn to a large portrait that sat over the fireplace. She looked up at the beautiful woman with kind eyes, blonde curls cascading down her back.

"This is my birth mother," Dimitri said quietly next to her.

"She's so beautiful," Byleth said, awed. She broke her eyes away and glanced back at Dimitri. "You look a lot like her."

His lips parted in surprise for a moment before his face relaxed into a pleased smile. "Everyone says I look just like my father," he said.

"I'll bet you look like both of them," Byleth said, a gentle tease in her voice. She reached for his hand and squeezed it gently. "Do you miss her?"

He looked at her a little surprised. "She died when I was very young. I barely remember her," he said, leading her to a nearby couch. It looked a bit like something from a museum and was not very comfortable.

"You didn't answer my question," she prodded.

He gazed at the rug under their feet, seeming to be very interested in the (hideous, in Byleth's opinion) pattern. "I do," he finally said, very softly. "I know it sounds silly, but I do."

"I don't think it sounds silly at all," she said, shifting towards him. "My mother died when I was born and I miss her all the time." She reached for his hand again, linking their fingers and rubbing her thumb against his.

He lifted their intertwined hands and kissed the back of hers. “I am sorry, Byleth. My intentions in bringing you here were never to make you sad.”

“I do miss her, but I’m not sad, Dimitri. I’m happy to be here with you.”

He smiled at her.

“Are you close with your stepmother?” she asked curiously.

“My stepmother has always been kind to me, but I’m not sure if I would consider us close.” He looked thoughtful and Byleth gave him a moment to work out his thoughts. “Sometimes it feels like she keeps me at a distance, though I’m not sure why.”

Byleth wanted to ask more, but decided against it.

“Shall we continue on?” Dimitri suggested. 

They stood and headed through a set of double doors different from the ones they had entered, across a hall and through yet another set of double doors.

"This is my father's office," Dimitri explained.

It was a room of a similar size to the room they had just exited, also bright and airy. Windows lined the wall behind the large desk, bookshelves lining the walls on either side.

"Should we be in here?" Byleth asked curiously.

He squeezed her hand that he still held. "He doesn't mind. I used to come in here and do my homework while he worked." He gestured towards a small desk set between the bookshelves on one side.

"Used to?"

"Well, now I usually do my homework at your house," he admitted with a smile.

"Oh, right." She looked around the room, her eyes falling on a large display case nestled between the bookshelves on the opposite side Dimitri had gestured to. "What's that?"

Dimitri led her across the room, flipping a hidden switch and lighting up what were actually two large display cases. One held a large lance, the other, a sword.

"Are these..." Byleth asked, trailing off in awe of the weapons.

Dimitri nodded. "Hero's Relics. This is Areadbhar, my family's weapon," he said gesturing towards the lance. The lights in the display case caused it to cast an eerie glow. "And this is the Sword of Liberation, which belongs to my stepmother's family."

Byleth stared at the sword, finding herself drawn to it. She felt her fingers rising towards the case, wanting to touch the weapon, disappointed when she could only touch glass.

A throat cleared behind them and Byleth jumped, dropping her hand. They turned, finding a beautiful woman with light brown hair standing in the entrance, looking at Byleth curiously.

"Patricia!" Dimitri said, smiling. "I was wondering where you were. This is Byleth. Byleth, this is my stepmother."

"Hello," Patricia said. "It's lovely to meet you."

Byleth inched towards Dimitri, Patricia's intense gaze making her a little uncomfortable. "Hello," she greeted.

"Are you interested in the sword?" Patricia asked her, walking across the room to stand in front of the case.

Byleth backed into Dimitri, trying to make space between herself and this woman and almost tripping over him. Dimitri's arms came around her, steadying her. He gave her a curious look.

Byleth said the first thing that came to her mind, ignoring Dimitri's look. "It's an interesting material."

"Yes," Patricia said, gazing at the sword. "Some say it looks like bone." She turned back towards Byleth. "But they all look like that, as if from a time before metal."

"Sounds like one of your fantasy novels," Dimitri teased, taking her hand again.

"Interested in magic as well?" Patricia asked her, an eyebrow raised.

Byleth shrugged. "It's just fiction."

Patricia looked back at the sword, a small smile on her face.

Dimitri's eyebrows raised. He rarely saw a smile on his stepmother's face.

Ms. Isaac entered the doorway. "Mr. Blaiddyd has arrived home. Dinner will be served shortly," she announced.

Dimitri squeezed Byleth's hand. "Thank you," he told Ms. Isaac.

"I'll let you introduce her to your father," Patricia said, following the other woman out the door.

Dimitri and Byleth moved towards the middle of the room and Byleth realized that the way the rooms were positioned, she was looking straight at Dimitri's mother's portrait. She glanced back at the desk, realizing that Mayor Lambert would have a view of her from his seat at the desk.

"You really seemed to make an impression on my stepmother," Dimitri commented.

"Hmm," Byleth said, still thinking of the kinder looking Mrs. Blaiddyd.

A man who did indeed look like an older version of Dimitri walked through the door, a briefcase in hand. "Ah, Dimitri!" he said with a jovial smile. He reached forward to hug his son.

"And you must be Byleth," he said warmly, taking her hand in both of his.

Byleth smiled. He was extremely likable, she could see why he was such a popular mayor. "I can see why my son is never home now."

"I don't mean to keep him away from you so much," Byleth said.

He let go of her hand, which found its way back to Dimitri's. "Oh, no, you clearly make him very happy and I am pleased to see him so happy."

Dimitri blushed. "Father..."

Lambert stepped around them to set his briefcase on the desk and then led them to the dining room.

Albeit being much more formal than she was used to, dinner was not an unusual affair. Patricia sat mostly silent, listening to the conversation. Lambert asked Dimitri and Byleth about their classes and their day, and asked Byleth about her father.

"Did you know my father in high school?" Byleth asked him.

"Unfortunately not. He is a few years younger than myself so we were in different classes," Lambert explained. 

"He doesn't speak much about that time," Byleth said.

"I can't imagine why! He definitely left behind a legacy at Garreg Mach High School. Did your mother go there as well?"

Byleth nodded. "She passed away when I was born," she added to stop that line of questioning.

"Ah, I'm very sorry to hear that. We lost Dimitri's mother as well," he said forlornly. Byleth, seated next to Dimitri, placed her hand on his knee under the table. He laid his own hand over hers, squeezing it gently.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After dinner, Dimitri quickly showed her the rest of the house before leading her upstairs to his room. She watched in surprise when he closed the door behind them.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked her.

Byleth shook her head, feeling a little nervous. She looked around the room, so much larger than her own. His bed took up the majority of the space, large and comfortable looking and she couldn't help but stare at it. Edelgard's voice from their dream meetings came back to her. _"Boys only care about one thing." ___

__Byleth swallowed hard. "Do you ever think about that girl from the house?" She didn't have to elaborate, Dimitri automatically knew who she was talking about._ _

__"It's kind of funny," he said, taking her hand and leading her to sit on the edge of the bed with him. "I've actually had a few dreams about her."_ _

__Byleth looked up at him, eyes wide. "Really? What kind of dreams?"_ _

__He seemed surprised by her interest, and looked down at their joined hands. "It's silly, really... but at first we were children and she was teaching me to dance."_ _

__Byleth's eyebrows furrowed. These were much different from her own dreams._ _

__"And sometimes," he continued, "we're at this school, I think it’s a military academy. I guess we're rivals of a sort. You're there too, but... you seem out of reach. All I want is to pull you into my arms, but for some reason I know I can't."_ _

__He looked troubled, more sadness on his face than she had ever seen. She shifted closer to him. "Dimitri... It's only a dream. I'm right here."_ _

__He looked up at her and smiled. "I know. It just feels so real sometimes, like it's a memory instead of a dream." He wrapped his arms around her. "Sometimes your hair and eyes are a different color," he added, looking at her thoughtfully._ _

__“How strange,” she said. She thought about telling him about her dreams of Edelgard, but they felt private. She shivered at the thought of the ghost._ _

__“Are you cold?” he asked._ _

__“A little,” she admitted._ _

__“Come here,” he suggested, shifting to crawl under the blankets of his bed. She swallowed hard again, joining him. He wrapped the blankets tightly around them both, asking a little nervously, “is this alright?”_ _

__She nodded, leaning against his chest and remembering the night after their visit to Hresvelg Manor. She could easily fall asleep there again if she let herself._ _

__He kissed the top of her head, holding her to him. “When do I need to get you home?”_ _

__“Eight,” she murmured._ _

__“We should leave soon.”_ _

__She tilted her head up to frown at him. “Really?”_ _

__He nodded. “Unfortunately.”_ _

__She sighed, reaching her hand up to touch his face. “It’s so strange being in here with the door closed. I could kiss you with nobody knowing.”_ _

__He smiled. “You should… if that’s what you want.”_ _

__She pretended to think._ _

__“Time’s running out, Byleth,” he said with another glance at the clock._ _

__Her hand moved to the back of his neck, pulling his face to hers. She wondered why neither Edelgard nor her father ever considered that it might be her own desires they had to worry about?_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dimitri's mom died of cancer when he was like 3-4. Sitri died in childbirth. 😔  
> I have a lot of feelings about Patricia and am currently working on a (very long) fic in which I dive deeply into her - her exact role in Duscur, what happened to her afterwards... I always felt it was left open-ended as to whether or not she survived and I kept waiting for her to pop up somewhere, especially in Crimson Flower. I was very disappointed that she was never even mentioned in CF.  
> I was initially planning to go a similar route with her in this fic but I ended up doing something quite a bit differently with her. *shrug*  
> (I know Dimitri is convinced that she's dead but it's never actually confirmed. Rodrigue even points this out in game.)
> 
> If I can't have official lore I suppose I'll make up my own. 
> 
> "Oh Becky. I can do anything. I'm a writer."  
> -Chuck, Supernatural 15x04


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the Battle of the Deer & Lion! Who will win?

The world outside was changing: trees were shedding their leaves, the days were getting shorter, the air colder. Some things did not change, however, such as the simple fact that every time Byleth pulled Dimitri to her for a kiss his heart _still_ skipped a beat. They were going to fall behind in their classes if they weren't careful, their after school homework time becoming more of kissing time while they listened carefully for Jeralt's heavy footsteps approaching.

The annual homeroom class kickball game was approaching quickly as well, stealing even more of their time. Jeralt’s gym classes were increasing in intensity as he worked them harder and harder in preparation. Byleth spent more than a few days after school in the weeks leading up to the game helping with extra practice for those who wished for it, and many of the hardworking members of her class did. 

Dimitri simply pushed himself to exhaustion; partly because he wanted to prove to Jeralt that he was worthy of Byleth, partly because of his competitive nature, partly because of a personality trait that seemed to exist in all Blaiddyd's to overwork themselves, and partly to try to escape his dreams. The dreams weren't always necessarily bad, but they still made him uneasy.

“I’m trying not to have any biases, but I also don’t expect a team my own daughter is on to lose,” Jeralt commented the day before the game.

Byleth rolled her eyes. She had faith in her class. Even their weaker members had improved significantly over the months. Annette, in particular, was tripping less and less. Then again, she knew nothing about the other classes skill levels. She had seen them in the hall and some of them had made some jeering comments, all in the spirit of competition. Claude, the pseudo leader of the other class and the boy she remembered from her first day, had tried (unsuccessfully) to get information from Byleth about their tactics.

"Us new kids have to stick together!" he told her.

"You're new?" she asked skeptically.

"Technically. I just transferred in this year - about a month before you."

"But you seem so... established already."

"My grandpa's kind of a big deal around here. You've probably seen the signs for Riegan Realty around?"

Byleth had. Her father was renting their house from his competitor, Gloucester Homes. Riegan was more involved in things like an expensive new construction project building high-end condos while Gloucester seemed to specialize on the lower income side of things.

That evening, Byleth had another dream meeting with Edelgard, this one a little different from the others. She found herself outside this time, in a grassy field rather than the parlor of Hresvelg Manor.

“What brings you here?” Edelgard asked her as they strolled lazily.

Byleth shrugged. “I don’t typically control my dreams. I figured this was your doing.”

“Perhaps. I did want some fresh air. There’s a lovely breeze.” As she spoke the words, a pleasant breeze blew through Byleth’s hair. “I do wish I could wander outside more,” she admitted.

“Are you unable to leave the house?” Byleth asked, expecting Edelgard to change the subject.

“Unfortunately. There are times I long for the warmth of the sun, for a sweet breeze on my face…” she closed her eyes, the scene coming to life as she described it.

Byleth shielded her eyes from the bright sun that was suddenly burning in the sky.

Edelgard led her to a bench that suddenly appeared under the shade of a strange tree with crimson flowers blooming across it. “I haven’t been outside in a hundred years now,” she admitted.

Byleth was afraid to comment, worried that Edelgard would stop talking about herself if she said the wrong thing.

Edelgard glanced at Byleth, and as if reading her mind said, “you’re surprisingly quiet.”

“You’re surprisingly talkative. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

Edelgard sighed. “I heard your conversation with Linhardt. 1180, huh?”

Byleth nodded.

“I died in 1080.”

“What happened to you?”

She shrugged, stretching her short legs in front of her. “I was sacrificed for worthless ideals.”

“And the others?”

She shook her head, crossing her legs. “They were simply trespassing when they shouldn’t have been. Accidents happen in old houses, you know.”

Byleth frowned. Some of their deaths did not seem like mere accidents. Ferdinand’s poisoning, for instance. She was about to ask if Edelgard was responsible, when suddenly the other girl said, “you haven’t mentioned that boy this time.”

Byleth bit her lip, wondering about the look Edelgard was giving her. “I know you don’t like to hear about him.”

Edelgard laughed humorlessly. “It isn’t that. I’m just jealous that he gets to touch you when I cannot.”

“You… want to touch me?” She wasn’t sure if Edelgard meant her in particular or just touching things in general.

“I want to do many things, Byleth,” she answered cryptically, staring straight ahead.

Byleth put her hand over Edelgard’s which rested on her lap. “Being a ghost must be very lonely,” she said. “I hope that our friendship has helped ease that burden somewhat.”

Edelgard stared down at Byleth’s hand, her hair shielding her face. She turned to look up at Byleth, a complicated look on her face. “It does,” she said, leaning in and kissing Byleth before she realized what was happening.

Byleth awoke shivering, her lips still feeling damp from Edelgard’s frozen kiss. It was a sharp contrast to Dimitri’s warmth.

She couldn’t help but wonder if it was cheating if you kissed a ghost in your dreams.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Byleth!” Jeralt shouted at her. “Get your head in the game!”

She gave Dimitri an apologetic smile when he narrowly missed the ball that she should have caught. They were in the outfield with Sylvain, Dedue, and Annette, Ingrid pitching. Luckily Sylvain picked up her slack, catching the ball and tossing it to Felix on third base. 

“Sorry kid,” Jeralt told Lorenz. “You’re out!”

Lorenz stalked off the field, grumbling about bias.

“Come on, By,” Sylvain said, frowning. “I already gotta pick up Annette’s slack.”

"I'm not slacking!" Annette shrieked.

“Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t sleep well.”

Dimitri gave her a curious look.

“Look alive!” Jeralt shouted. Leonie, easily the best player on the other team, was up to kick. With Lorenz’ out, only Claude and Hilda remained on the bases. It wasn’t a good outlook for the last inning. The Golden Deer were only down by two points, this could be the deciding kick.

Not surprising, Leonie performed an expert kick, the ball flying across the field. Byleth followed the arc with her eyes. It bounced towards Annette, who managed to pick it up and throw it awkwardly towards Dimitri.

“Oof,” he grunted. It smacked him in the cheek but he still managed to catch it and toss it to Byleth.

Claude crossed the home plate, turning to shout. “Come on Hilda! Pick up the pace!”

Byleth threw the ball to Felix who caught it, tagging Hilda just in time.

“Out!” Jeralt shouted. “And that’s the game! Blue Lions win!” 

Byleth joined in the screaming and jumping as they ran towards each other in celebration. Dimitri picked her up and spun her around, a huge smile on his face. Byleth threw her head back with laughter. She never thought she would have enjoyed such raucousness, much less join in on it.

Dimitri sat her down, keeping his arm slung over her shoulders as Jeralt approached them. “Good job, guys,” Jeralt said, smiling at them. “I knew you could do it. Now I gotta go pretend not to be happy with the others.”

“Go easy on them, dad,” Byleth laughed as he walked off. “He must be happy,” she commented, smiling up at Dimitri. “He didn’t even say anything about your arm around me.” Dimitri only grinned at her, lifting her and spinning her again.

They headed back inside the school for their late lunch period, the cafeteria preparing a special meal for the event. The entire school seemed excited for their win, even the older and younger students congratulating them on their narrow victory.

Claude slid into the tiny open space next to Byleth, slinging an arm around her shoulders. She raised her eyebrows at him.

“Claude…” Dimitri said with a frown.

“I know, she’s /your/ girlfriend. But, man, that was an impressive display today. You are one lucky guy.”

Byleth rolled her eyes, shaking off his arm and scooting closer to Dimitri, who wrapped his arm around her waist. “Did you need something?” she asked.

“I was just wondering if maybe you could give me and the others some pointers some time. I’d also like to challenge you all to a rematch next month.”

“You’re on!” Ingrid said, excitedly.

“I can’t say no to a little friendly competition,” Dimitri said with a confident smile.

“Except when it comes to your girlfriend?” 

Dimitri’s smile faded.

“Can you not talk about me like that?” Byleth asked. “I’m right here.”

“I'm sorry if my way of being is upsetting to you,” he said, sounding surprisingly sincere. He stood up. “Besides, looking at Dimitri’s face, it seems like I’d better stay on your good side. Anyway, I’ll set things up with Principal Rhea and Coach Daddykins.”

Byleth turned to look at Dimitri, confused. She inspected his face closely, noticing a bruise forming on his cheek. “What happened?” she asked, her hand coming up to brush his face gently.

“Hmm? Oh, probably that last throw. It hit me in the face. It’s fine, though,” he reassured her.

Sylvain cleared his throat. “Seteth,” he said under his breath.

Byleth and Dimitri both dropped their hands from each other, scooting apart. They had been reprimanded more than once by the vice principal for “excessive” public displays of affection. His definition of “excessive” seemed a little /excessive/ in itself. Byleth thought that they kept their interactions fairly chaste at school, but they were barely allowed to hold hands if he was nearby.

“Excuse me,” the vice principal said, his voice on edge. “Have you seen Flayn?”

“I saw her earlier at the game,” Dimitri answered. “I haven’t seen her since, however.”

Seteth frowned deeply. “I haven’t seen her since about halfway through the game. I’m beginning to worry.”

“Would you like us to look for her?” Ashe suggested.

“I don’t want to intrude on your celebration,” Seteth said reluctantly.

“It’s no trouble at all,” Dimitri reassured him.

“We’ll take a look around the school and let you know if we see her,” Ingrid said with a smile.

They split up, each taking a section of the school and searching for the younger girl to no avail.

“You don’t think…” Byleth asked, trailing off. They all knew what she was talking about.

“We shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” Dimitri said, frowning.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Byleth found herself in an unfamiliar place in her dream that night. It was a large bedroom, even larger than Dimitri’s had been. A huge canopy bed sat in the middle of the room, a chaise lounge sitting at the end.

Edelgard sat at a vanity, brushing her long hair.

Byleth swallowed hard, looking from Edelgard to the large bed. “Um…” she said.

“Before you say anything, I want to apologize for before. I should not have overstepped.”

“I like you, Edelgard, but you’re…”

“I know. There is no future for us.”

“I’d rather that didn’t happen again. I felt guilty all day.”

“If you had to choose,” Edelgard said thoughtfully, “which would you pick?”

“If you were alive?” Byleth asked.

“Yes,” Edelgard said with a sigh.

Byleth thought about if there had been a third option that first day of school, a third folder. Would she have requested Edelgard?

She thought of Dimitri's earnest face, the way his eyes softened every time he looked at her. She thought of how perfectly she seemed to fit in his arms and how warm and soft his lips were and how addicted she was to the feel of them against her own. And finally she thought of the way that upon seeing that she was frightened, he had disregarded his own safety and well-being and stood defiantly between her and the cause of her fear. It was him. She would pick him again and again, she knew this deep within her. 

She hesitated explaining this to Edelgard, however. "I care about you and I cherish our friendship. But I already picked Dimitri and I’m going to stand by that decision.”

“Even if there was a way for us to be together?”

Byleth took a step back, frowning. There was only one way for them to be together. “I think I’d like to go home,” she said, starting to feel uncomfortable.

Edelgard sighed again. “It’s _your_ dream.”

“Is it?” Byleth asked. “If that’s the case, then why are we in your bedroom?” She was beginning to feel defensive and couldn't help but wonder if these really _were_ her own dreams.

Byleth blinked and the room changed to the parlor. Not the nice parlor that they had visited before, but the actual parlor from the Manor. Edelgard sat on one of the couches, blood pouring from her. She continued to brush her dripping hair.

“This is why,” she said angrily.

Lightning flashed through the window behind Edelgard and Byleth awoke with a start, shivering violently.

It was still the middle of the night, but Byleth was afraid to go back to sleep, to face Edelgard’s ire. She wondered about the other comment the girl had made about the “unfortunate accidents” the other ghosts had faced. Was Edelgard responsible for their deaths? Was she perhaps so lonely that she was keeping them trapped in the house with her? The others had said that most of the ghosts seemed to disappear after seeming to hear some sort of signal. And Linhardt had said “she calls.” Was the ‘she’ in that comment Edelgard?

People seemed to go missing once every 20 years or so, perhaps she grew bored of their company after so long a time and needed to find a new companion. Was Byleth to be this next companion since Bernadetta had escaped?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPORT!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blue Lions return to Hresvelg Manor in search of Flayn this time.  
> Byleth realizes she may have made a mistake.

Flayn was officially announced missing the next day, conveniently a Saturday. Dimitri picked Byleth up and they met the others at Hresvelg Manor, Bernadetta joining them again. Byleth was apprehensive after her mostly sleepless night following her latest encounter with Edelgard, but knew they needed to find Flayn if she was there.

“At least we’re here during the day this time,” Annette said, looking around with a frown.

Dedue looked up at the cloudy sky. “Looks like we won’t get much sunlight, regardless.”

“We stay together this time,” Dimitri insisted, taking Byleth’s hand in his. He smiled at her, the dark circles under his eyes matching her own. She wanted to ask him about it, but he was pulling her into the house before she could.

Someone had tracked mud along the tattered rug and they followed the footprints to the parlor door, Byleth hesitating just outside. Dimitri squeezed her hand tightly. “You can stay here,” he suggested.

Byleth shook her head, clinging to his hand.

“Alright,” he said, reluctantly. He wished they had left her behind but knew she would be upset if they had. He knew just how badly the ghost in this room had frightened her last time and didn’t want to put her through that experience again. “Stay close,” he insisted. He looked around at the others. “Let’s go.”

Sylvain went first, opening the door and looking around the room cautiously. “She’s here!” he said excitedly.

They all barreled into the room, finding Flayn lying on the floor.

“Flayn,” Mercedes said, shaking her shoulder. She checked the girl’s pulse and made sure she was breathing. “I think she’s just asleep,” she told the others who had gathered around her.

Byleth looked around the room nervously, wondering where Edelgard was. She made it a point to ignore the mural behind her and noticed something in the room was off. “What happened to the rug?” Byleth asked, looking at the floor. She had been in this room enough times to know when something was out of place.

“There’s some sort of weird symbol on the ground instead,” Annette said, looking curiously. Sure enough, a large symbol was painted on the floor, a strange combination of geometric shapes and what looked like words in an unfamiliar language. Flayn was posed directly in the middle.

“Take a picture of it,” Felix suggested to Bernadetta.

“Can you move her?” Bernadetta asked, pulling out her camera.

Sylvain and Felix carefully lifted Flayn from the ground and laid her on Dedue’s coat which he had draped over one of the filthy couches.

“Bernadetta,” Byleth asked quietly, “do you mind taking a few pictures of that mural?” She pointed but did not look in its direction.

“Sure!”

Felix kept his hand on Bernadetta’s shoulder as she moved around the room, taking multiple pictures.

Byleth leaned against Dimitri, the relief of quickly finding Flayn safe relaxing her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her close to him.

Bernadetta’s camera flash got close enough to Flayn to rouse the girl. “Wha-where am I?” she asked curiously, looking around the room.

“Don’t try to get up,” Mercedes warned. “What do you remember?”

Flayn squeezed her eyes shut. “I was at the kickball game… But then I left.”

“Why did you leave?” Felix asked impatiently.

She hesitated, rubbing her temple. "Well, this is going to sound rather silly," she started. "But I've been receiving notes from a secret admirer in my locker for a few weeks now."

"Wait, was someone else here with you?" Sylvain asked, his eyes wide.

"I don't think so. I'm honestly not sure how I even ended up here... Which is where, by the way?"

"Hresvelg Manor," Annette said.

"What?!" Flayn exclaimed, "the haunted house?!" 

They glanced around, half expecting the ghosts to appear.

"So... who did your secret admirer end up being?" Sylvain asked.

"I'm not sure," Flayn said, eyes filling with tears. "I believe it now to be a ruse. They asked me to meet them just outside the library during the game. I went, and that's the last thing I remember." She started to cry, Mercedes pulling her into an embrace. "I don't know what I'm going to tell my father."

"He's very worried," Byleth added. "You've been gone an entire day."

“Oh my! I can’t believe I’ve been gone for so long,” Flayn sniffled.

"We should call Felix's dad," Ingrid suggested.

"How will we explain all of us being here?" Ashe asked curiously.

"Good point..." Dimitri mused. "Perhaps we should wait a little bit until she's feeling better and then we can take her to that gas station nearby. Flayn, do you mind saying you awoke on your own and walked there?"

She shook her head. "Not at all. I am used to hiding things from parents," she added with a wink. She leaned back against Mercedes while the rest of the group milled about, keeping an eye out for ghosts.

Annette, who was looking closely at the symbol on the ground, suddenly said, “ohhh, I see.”

They all looked at her, confused.

“It’s mathematical,” she explained. “But it’s wrong.”

“Wrong?” Ingrid asked.

“It’s a platonic solid. It looks like whoever drew this was trying to make an icosahedron but used the properties of a dodecahedron instead.”

They looked at each other, seeing if anyone else understood what she was saying.

“The spherical coordinates are off, making the dihedral symmetry wrong.”

“Are you possessed?” Felix asked.

She looked up at him annoyed. “No! My father just makes me study really complicated geometry sometimes.” She started to pick at a corner of a shape with her fingernail.

“What are you doing?” Sylvain asked. 

“I’m trying to fix it.” 

“Why?”

She shrugged. 

“Here, use this.” Byleth handed her the small switchblade her father had given her for protection and Annette started to more successfully scrape the paint off the ground. The house suddenly shuddered as if a strong gust of wind had hit it. Dimitri's arms around Byleth tightened.

“Woah,” Linhardt said, appearing suddenly.

They all gasped and jumped in surprise.

“What are you doing? I feel funny all of a sudden.”

“Linhardt!” Bernadetta gasped. He had been the one to suggest that she hide from the ghosts during her stay. 

He looked down at his hands. “It’s strange, but I feel like a weight has been lifted from me.”

Sylvain looked down at the symbol Annette had been scraping at. “Do you think maybe this symbol was keeping you here somehow?”

Linhardt shrugged. “There were some books on magic symbols but I mostly ignored them. Seemed silly. Then again, I’m a ghost so I suppose anything is possible…”

Edelgard appeared then, drenched in blood. The others gasped, seeing her for the first time. Dimitri’s arms around Byleth tightened even further. Edelgard ignored Byleth, however.

“I believe you’re now free to go,” Edelgard said to Linhardt.

“You’re going to let him go?” Byleth asked her.

“ _Let_ him go?” she asked, finally looking at Byleth with a perplexed look on her face. “Much like many other things in my life, I have no control over who stays in my house.”

“Oh,” Byleth said softly.

“Did you really think that?” Edelgard asked, frowning at her.

“I just thought that maybe you were keeping them here. Because you were lonely?”

Edelgard’s eyes narrowed at her. “I thought you knew me better than that,” she hissed. “I guess I was wrong. You definitely have made your choice, haven’t you?”

Byleth frowned, shrinking back into Dimitri.

“You’re frightening her again,” Dimitri said in a low voice, angling himself between the two girls.

Edelgard ignored him. “Tell the rest they are free to go, thanks to your small friend,” she said, taking a step back, her eyes shining.

“And you?” Byleth asked.

“Unfortunately I am more deeply bound to this house than they are.”

“I’m sorry,” Byleth said. “For everything.” She pulled from Dimitri to reach for Edelgard, but the other girl disappeared.

Linhardt frowned. “I’m not sure I’m ready to leave just yet. There are still books to be read.”

“But if you don’t leave now, you might not get another chance,” Flayn said, taking the appearance of ghosts surprisingly well.

“Hmm. That is a difficult decision. There are only enough books here to last so long… I’ll think about it.” 

They looked around at each other, wondering if there was enough time _to_ think. 

“Linhardt, did you happen to see who brought Flayn here?” Bernadetta asked him. 

“Mmm, it was an older man,” he said distractedly. “He left shortly before you all showed up. He’s not the same person that drove up just a little while ago, though.”

“Wait, what?” Felix asked.

“Somebody came but saw your cars so they left.” Linhardt shrugged. “You should probably tell the other residents and get out of here before they come back.”

“And what about you?” Flayn asked. 

“I suppose I _should_ go as well. I’ll walk you out,” he suggested. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dimitri and Byleth headed towards the entrance with Flayn and Linhardt, the others pairing off to find the other ghosts.

Linhardt hesitated in the doorway, looking up at the cloudy sky. “I haven’t been outside in so long.”

It reminded Byleth of her recent dream meeting with Edelgard and she couldn’t help but shiver.

“Perhaps you can spend more time outside in your next life?” Flayn suggested.

Linhardt scrunched up his face. “No thank you. Give me a dusty old library over the outdoors anytime.”

Flayn frowned at him. “You need sunlight!”

“Do I? I’m dead, remember?”

Flayn’s frown deepened. “That doesn’t matter. You need to remember that there are more things to life than reading.”

Byleth thought of her own life before Garreg Mach. She had done little more than read. Her father had always insisted that they play sports, joining local teams when they traveled to a new town. But reading had always been her passion, her way to escape the monotony of the world. She could imagine herself as someone else, someone _exciting_ when she read, going on adventures. 

Now her life _felt_ like an adventure… although a terrifying one. She had friends, companions to accompany her on her journey through this horrific adventure. And Dimitri. She had Dimitri to hold her and kiss her, adding an entirely new layer to this adventure. 

Byleth didn’t see herself giving up reading anytime soon, but she was realizing how much more there was to her life. “Flayn’s right,” Byleth told Linhardt.

Linhardt sighed. “I’m well aware. It was my dream to become a scholar. Unfortunately my pursuit of knowledge is what led me to be trapped here. It’s been a dream in its own way, being able to research day in and day out with little to no distraction, not having to worry about silly things such as eating or sleeping…” His eyebrows knitted together. “But as of late there has been this nagging feeling in my brain that perhaps there is more. Or at least there should be more. Or I should _want_ more.” He stared up at the clouds. “I shudder to think of what I might become had I stayed here much longer.”

He looked from Flayn to Byleth to Dimitri. “Thank you. All of you.” He took a step past the threshold of the house, his body turning to dust and blowing away on the light breeze.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sylvain and Ingrid found Dorothea in the conservatory again. This time she was standing on the balcony humming to herself, eyes closed as the breeze ruffled her hair. The sun looked like it might actually make an appearance just for her, fighting its way through the clouds.

“Heya, Dorothea,” Sylvain said, smiling at her.

She turned and smiled back at him. “You came back. And this time I don’t have the overwhelming urge to throw you over the edge of the balcony.”

Sylvain’s eyes went wide. “You really wanted to do that?”

She shrugged. “A little.” She looked at Ingrid who was leaning against the door. “You, however…” She winked.

“Oh, I see how it is,” Sylvain said, frowning.

“What was I supposed to think?” Dorothea asked, frowning at him. “You only chased me because you heard my voice. You only wanted me because you saw my pretty face.”

“It’s true. That is what drew me to you at first. I didn’t know anything about you. But I wanted to learn more!”

“Did you?” She sighed. “I suppose you can’t know it all right at the start. I do wish we had the time to get to know each other.”

“You can go now,” Ingrid told her, smiling.

“I thought as much. And I’m glad to see you aren’t hurting as much anymore.” She reached out and took both Ingrid and Sylvain’s hands, smiling at them. She started to sing, her ghostly body slowly turning to dust and blowing away, her voice still lingering long after she was gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Felix and Bernadetta went upstairs to the library to find Caspar. He was standing in front of the fireplace which burned with a normal sized fire instead of the raging inferno it had been before.

“Caspar?” Bernadetta asked.

He spun, frowning at them. “Oh, it’s you two.”

“You can leave now,” Felix said.

“Felix! Don’t be rude,” Bernadetta scolded.

“What? I thought we were just passing on the message.”

“Yeah, but, you don’t have to say it like that.”

“Hey, guys, it’s okay,” Caspar said. “I’m sorry for frightening you,” he added to Bernadetta. “I just get excited sometimes. That’s actually how I ended up stuck here, I got excited and tried to attack one of the other ghosts, only to fall into the fireplace.” He shook his head.

“You fell into the fireplace?” Felix asked incredulously.

“Yeah, it’s pretty embarrassing,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Will you promise not to tell anybody else?”

“Your secrets safe with me!” Bernadetta promised.

Felix shrugged. “I’ll consider it.”

“Felix!” Bernadetta said, elbowing him.

Caspar laughed. “You two remind me of my friends, Jeralt and Sitri - a tough guy and the sweetest girl you ever met. I hope they’re doing well.”

“Jeralt? As in Jeralt Eisner?” Bernadetta asked.

“Yeah! You know him?”

“He’s our gym teacher.”

“Really? Dang, that’s not surprising at all. Did he and Sitri get married? I bet they did.”

“They did!” Bernadetta said excitedly. “But-” Felix covered her mouth with his hand.

“They had a daughter,” Felix said. “And they’re very happy.”

“Good. I’m happy to hear that.” Caspar smiled, taking a step back. He closed his eyes, his ghostly body slowly turning to dust and disappearing into the fire.

“What the heck, Felix!” Bernadetta said, frowning up at him once he had released her.

“He didn’t need to know about Byleth’s mom,” Felix said, frowning back at her.

She sighed. “I guess you’re right.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mercedes and Annette went back to the kitchens to find Ferdinand sitting at the table sipping tea.

“You know that’s poisoned,” Mercedes said, frowning at him. “So why do you keep drinking it?”

Ferdinand shrugged. “I thought that maybe if I relived my death enough times I could move on.”

“You can move on now,” Annette told him.

“Oh? How convenient. This is my 24,799th cup of tea. I thought for sure I’d have to get to at least 25,000.”

Annette and Mercedes gaped at each other. 

“Ferdinand, I have to know one thing…” Mercedes said slowly. 

“Anything for you!” Ferdinand said jovially. 

“Why did you try to get us to drink as well if you knew it was poisoned?”

Ferdinand looked down into his cup, sighing. “I was hoping you’d enjoy staying here with me.” He let out a small cough. “I’ve been here for so long now. I do hope you’ll forgive me.”

“How did you end up here?” Annette asked curiously.

“What a fantastic story to share!” Ferdinand fell into a coughing fit before he could continue. “You see,” he paused to cough some more. 

“Perhaps it is too late for this story,” Mercedes suggested gently. 

“Nonsense!” He began to cough yet again. “Oh dear, perhaps you’re right,” he managed to choke out. “Farewell, lovely maidens! …Thank you for …your company,” he said between coughs. Finally he let out a loud cough, exploding into a puff of dust and disappearing. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dedue joined Ashe outside near the pool. Petra was swimming laps, slowing to perform a backstroke across the pool when she heard them coming. “You have come to tell me it is time to be leaving?” she asked curiously.

“Yes, you’re free now!” Ashe said with a wide smile.

She returned his smile. “I am hoping that wherever I go next the sun will be shining.” She looked up at the cloudy sky longingly. 

“I think that is a distinct possibility,” Dedue said, watching her cautiously. Just because these ghosts were free did not mean they weren’t dangerous. 

“I heard it is because of you that I am free?” she asked, looking at Ashe as she swam for the edge of the pool.

“Well, not me personally, but my friend, yes!” 

“I was hoping you would be accompanying me.” She smiled at Ashe, lifting herself out of the water and walking towards him slowly so he could get a better look at her curves. 

Dedue took Ashe’s arm and pulled him back. 

“Its alright, Dedue,” Ashe said, patting his hand. He took a step towards the drowned girl. “I’m sorry, Petra, I wish we could have gotten to know each other better, but I’d like to stay here with Dedue. I hope you’ll understand.”

“I like your honesty,” Petra said. “It shows you have integrity.” She turned back around and headed for the diving board. “I wish you both all of the best,” she said, standing on the edge. She jumped and dove, exploding into dust as she hit the surface of the water. 

Dedue and Ashe headed towards the dining room next, but it was empty. Ashe shouted that the ghost could move on, but they heard no reaction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *looks up sacred geometry on wikipedia and clicks on a bunch of links to find weird words and concepts that go WAY over my head*
> 
> I wonder who Flayn’s fake secret admirer was? Someone who asked her to meet outside the LIBRARY… HMM…


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimitri & Byleth try to learn more about Edelgard, who Byleth is trying to avoid in the subconscious world.

Dimitri and Byleth met up with the others back at the (mostly) ghost-free house to make sure nothing had gone awry while they were gone. 

“So, that ghost in the parlor,” Annette said slowly, looking at Byleth. “She talked to you as if she knew you.”

“Her name is Edelgard,” Byleth told them, frowning.

“How do you know this?” Ingrid asked curiously.

Byleth sighed. “I’ve been having dreams since that first time. She said we were connected, that’s why she was able to communicate with me in that way.”

She could see Dimitri frowning at her from the corner of her eye and she felt especially bad for not telling him.

“She usually changed the subject if I asked her about herself or the other ghosts or really anything at all to do with the house, so there wasn’t much information for me to pass on, really,” she insisted. She wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince him or herself.

“Has anybody else been having weird dreams?" Dedue asked curiously.

"I've had some, but nothing like Byleth," Dimitri admitted. "Mostly about that girl, Edelgard. But we never really had conversations."

Nobody else spoke up, so Byleth continued. "It wasn't until last night that she finally told me that she died 100 years ago. But that's really all I know."

"Hmm, Edelgard..." Mercedes said thoughtfully. "I wonder if Ionius Hresvelg would know anything about her if you mentioned the name?"

"Ooh! Good idea!" Annette said excitedly. "Maybe we should go see him?" 

"Well, it’s too late now and I'm not sure the hospital would let all of us in at once," Mercedes said reluctantly. "And I'm not sure I want to explain to my mother why I'm visiting him. They’ll surely recognize me at least."

"Maybe just you two should go," Felix suggested, looking at Dimitri and Byleth. "Since Byleth seems to know Edelgard so well," he added, giving her a suspicious look.

"He has a point," Annette said reluctantly, reading the tension growing in the room. "You might be able to say something to jog his memory."

Byleth nodded with a sigh. She looked up at Dimitri cautiously. He was trying to keep his face neutral, but she could see the tightness around his eyes. "Would you like to come to the hospital with me tomorrow?" she asked him.

"Do you want me to?" he asked in a quiet voice.

“Of course, Dimitri," she said, frowning at him. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dimitri and Byleth sat in a small waiting area after speaking to the nurse on duty in the dementia ward, Dimitri’s arms crossed over his chest. They hadn’t spoken much on the car ride over.

“Are you mad at me?” Byleth asked quietly.

He shook his head, frowning. “No… I’m just not sure why you didn’t tell me. I told you about my strange dreams.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Byleth said, frowning. “I’m not sure why I didn’t tell you… It just seemed… private.”

His frown deepened. “I thought that’s what we were supposed to do, share private things.”

"I wanted to tell you, I really did."

"I think I'm more angry at myself for trying to be mad at you.”

She looked at him curiously. "What does that mean?"

He sighed, letting his arms drop and taking her hand. "I shouldn't be mad at you for something so... irrelevant. If you don't want to tell me things, you don't have to."

Byleth hesitated, remembering there was a part that was not quite so irrelevant. "She kissed me."

Dimitri just stared at her.

"I wasn't expecting it and I asked her not to do it again,” she explained quickly. “And then she asked me if I had a choice, which of you would I pick.”

Dimitri swallowed hard. "And?" he asked in a choked voice.

She squeezed his hand tightly. "You, of course! I picked you that first day and I will _always_ pick you."

"Always?" he asked, his lips turning up at the edges.

"Yes!" she insisted, pulling him to her for a briefer kiss than either of them preferred. She smiled at him and then scooted closer so she could lean her head on his shoulder, his arm wrapping around her waist. "I think that's why she's mad at me," she added.

"She did seem rather upset with you..." he paused. "Wait, what did you mean by picking me that first day?"

She explained the folders Alois had, his contemplation and then her request. Before Dimitri could comment, a sultry female voice interrupted them.

"Dimitri? Is that you?" A woman with pale red hair was standing in front of them.

"Oh, hello Cornelia," Dimitri said, giving the woman a polite smile. “Byleth, this is my father’s secretary, Cornelia.”

“Hello,” Byleth said, holding out her hand. Cornelia’s wide smile as they shook hands made Byleth uneasy. 

“What are you two doing here?” Cornelia asked. 

“We’re visiting Ionius Hresvelg,” Dimitri explained. “We’re doing a school paper on the history of the town and the Hresvelg’s have been around a long time,” he continued, using the cover story they had provided the nurse with. 

“Ah, yes. I’m afraid he won’t be very helpful,” she said. “He’s an old friend and unfortunately his mind just isn’t what it used to be.”

“ _You_ are friends with him?” Byleth asked curiously. The woman’s blouse was cut entirely too low, Byleth had to struggle to keep her eyes on her face. She wondered if this was how Sylvain felt all the time.

“An old _family_ friend,” Cornelia corrected herself effortlessly. “Anyway, I should be on my way. It was nice to meet you, Byleth,” she added with a wink. 

Byleth smiled at her awkwardly. 

The nurse came to let them in to see Ionius then. “He was a little agitated earlier, but he seems to be fine now,” she told them. “I don’t want you kids to be disappointed, but he has never been very coherent in the years that I have worked here.”

“That’s fine,” Dimitri said, giving her the reassuring smile he had learned from his father. 

“Thank you for helping us out,” Byleth added, following his lead. 

“Well, it’s always nice to see an elderly gentleman get visitors,” the nurse said. 

“Does he get many?” Dimitri asked curiously. “Visitors that is?” 

“Just Miss Cornelia, and she only comes once every few months.”

Dimitri and Byleth glanced at each other curiously. 

“Here we are,” the nurse said, leading them into a room. “Ionius? Some nice children have come to see you.”

Byleth swallowed hard, looking at the elderly man lying in the hospital bed in front of her. She had never seen a man that old before, he looked more skeleton than human. She squeezed Dimitri’s hand and he squeezed back reassuringly. 

“Hello, Mr. Hresvelg,” Dimitri said loudly. He sound cheery but Byleth noticed a hint of unease in his voice. The man’s eyes shifted to them, but he didn’t move his head and his sour expression did not change. 

The nurse left the room and Dimitri and Byleth moved closer. “We’ve come to ask you a few questions,” Dimitri said much more quietly. “About Hresvelg Manor.” Ionius’ sour expression turned into a full on glare. 

“Did you encounter Edelgard when you were there?” Byleth asked him. His glare shifted to her and Byleth shrank back a little. 

“What do you know of her?” he mumbled. 

Dimitri and Byleth looked at each other. 

“That’s what we came here to ask you,” Dimitri explained. “We’d like to know more about her, how she ended up trapped in the house.”

He stared at them, his glare turning bewildered. “She’s still there? But how? She’s dead, I watched her die!” His breath began to come out in quick gasps. “Call the police! Call an ambulance! You have to help her!”

“Sir, please, calm down!” Dimitri insisted, looking back at the door. He wondered if he should call for the nurse. 

“I’m sorry, but she _is_ dead,” Byleth told him.

Tears began to stream down his face. “My girl, my El… I’m so sorry.” 

“That was a hundred years ago…” Dimitri said slowly. “How could you be alive?” 

“What happened to Edelgard?” Byleth asked, placing a hand on Ionius’ arm. 

He began to calm, still crying. “They did such horrible things… I could only watch in horror.”

“Who?” Byleth insisted. 

“The society,” he answered.

The nurse came back in. “Oh dear, oh dear!” She bustled around, pushing them out of the room while Dimitri apologized.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Byleth and Dimitri decided to try to continue their research in the school library the next morning while the rest of their class stayed behind to work on homework.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen such hardworking children. Could I get you some tea?” Tomas asked, a kind smile on his face.

“Sure,” Byleth said.

“That sounds lovely,” Dimitri said.

They found the microfiche from 1070-1080 and started scanning it for any mention of Edelgard or the Hresvelg family. Since records from so long ago were sparse, they were able to get through the microfiche much quicker than when they had been researching much more recent records. They found few mentions of the Hresvelg family, but it was a news article on the microfiche from 1079 that caught their eye. 

Edelgard Hresvelg set to attend the elite Morfis Boarding School stated one article. It included a picture of the very recognizable Edelgard and the mysterious final ghost, “Hubert,” the caption stated. 

“He was her butler,” Dimitri said, looking at the picture closely. “This is definitely the ghost Dedue and I saw… I’m pretty sure I’d recognize him anywhere.”

“Maybe that’s why he didn’t leave,” Byleth commented. “He still feels the need to perform his duties and doesn’t want to leave her side.”

“He did refer to her as “my lady,” Dimitri remembered.

The article mostly talked about the boarding school and the awards it had won, the notable people who had attended. But the last sentence caught both of their eyes.

“Ms. Hresvelg is expected to follow in her parents footsteps and join the Society of the Eye when she returns.”

“The Society of the Eye?” Byleth asked curiously. “Have you ever heard of that?” 

Dimitri shook his head. “Perhaps we should go ask the others?”

She nodded. “Good idea. Let’s head back.” Byleth stood, gathering her things, a wave of dizziness coming over her suddenly. Thinking she had stood up too quickly, she thought nothing of it. She started to head for the exit, but after only taking a few steps the world spun and Byleth watched her vision go black as she collapsed.

“Byleth!” Dimitri cried, catching her.

Tomas’ eyes widened. “You should get her to the infirmary right away!” he said, stepping behind his desk.

Dimitri nodded, lifting her limp body into his arms and rushing through the door and towards the infirmary. Nurse Manuela jumped as Dimitri burst through the door.

“Oh my,” she said. “What happened to the poor dear?”

Dimitri laid her gently on the cot in the room. “I’m not sure, she just fainted in the library.” He stood anxiously while Manuela checked Byleth over. “She hasn’t been sleeping well,” he added.

“She appears to be alright, breathing seems regular,” Manuela finally told him. “I’m sure she just needs some rest.”

He nodded, taking Byleth’s hand in his own. “I should tell Mr. Eisner,” he said.

“You go on to class,” Manuela suggested. “I’ll make sure Jeralt knows where to find his daughter.”

Dimitri nodded reluctantly. He came back to check on her between classes, but nothing had changed. However, when he came back at lunch, Byleth was nowhere to be found.

“Ms. Manuela?” Dimitri asked. “Where’s Byleth?”

“Hmm? Oh, I assumed she woke up and left. Oh, by the way, did your stepmother find you?”

“What?” he asked, confused. “My stepmother?”

“She was here earlier, looking for you.”

His forehead creased in confusion. “She was? Are you sure?”

“Patricia, right?”

He nodded.

“She was here looking for you about 30 minutes ago.”

Dimitri was beginning to feel extremely uneasy. “Did you tell Mr. Eisner about Byleth?” he asked.

“Mmmhmm. He said to let him know if anything changed. I suppose something did change, didn’t it?”

Dimitri nodded, heading into the hall, feeling disoriented. He had only made it a few steps when he cried out suddenly, his hand going to his forehead.

“Help her,” Edelgard’s child voice insisted.

He blinked several times, seeing the image in his head of Byleth lying in the parlor of that damn house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear. Whatever could have made Byleth faint? 
> 
> (I was going to call it the Society of the Black Eye just going off of the symbol they use but that seemed silly so I just went with Society of the Eye because publicly calling yourself Those Who Slither in the Dark sounds kinda nefarious. They (partly) operated in the open, of course keeping their nefarious goals and tasks to the… dark.)
> 
> A note on teacher/staff names - if you noticed before, they referred to Catherine as Miss Catherine making it sound like they go to some sort of weird alternative school where teachers are referred to by their first names but really I just didn’t want to confuse anybody by calling Catherine Ms. Charon. That sounds weird, right? I mean, we know this character as Catherine (even though her real name is Cassandra but WHATEVER - same with Gilbert/Gustav. We know him as Gilbert. Periodt.) so it would be weird to refer to her as someone else. There was an exception made for Seteth who introduces himself as Mr. Cichol and that was partly a jab at his true identity and partly because you know damn well that Seteth would make you call him Mr. Whatever His Last Name Is If He Even Has One even if they went to some sort of alternative school.   
> And Dimitri refers to Jeralt as Mr. Eisner because he’s proper and dating his daughter and so feels the need to refer to him with an extra level of respect (kinda like everyone calling him His Highness even though he asks them not to?).


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marshmallows & Cigarettes  
> (bonus flashback chapter to expand upon what happened four years ago that was briefly mentioned before we get to the action packed penultimate chapter)

1176  
( _Four years ago_ )

Lysithea Ordelia and Hapi Timotheos huddled together in the corner of a small room. It had once been a walk-in freezer, but luckily the building currently had no electricity. The Kirsten family that had owned the restaurant had moved to a larger location several years prior and the building had sat empty since then, only a Gloucester Realty sign in the dusty front window.

The girls were frightened and hungry, they had not been given food since their kidnapping a day earlier. The only things in their freezer were a package of bottled waters, a box of bandages, and… a bucket.

It seemed odd to those who knew them that the two girls had been kidnapped at the same time considering they rarely crossed paths with each other. They were two very opposite girls, Lysithea a determined high achiever that had worked hard to skip a grade and Hapi who was a grade even higher and preferred to spend her free time napping, star gazing, and searching for pretty stones.

It was actually due to Hapi’s habit of napping that the two came to be in the same place at the same time - the school library. Hapi had fallen asleep tucked away in between the stacks of books, Lysithea stepping on the girl in her tunnel vision to find the book she was looking for.

Hapi had wandered around outside after her rude awakening, searching for stones in the school parking lot. She was still there when Lysithea finally exited. The two girls had walked down the street together, heading in the same direction for now, when a van stopped suddenly in front of them. Neither girl could remember precisely what had happened next, only awaking in the freezer.

A pair of oddly dressed people had come in a couple of times, drawing blood and holding strange stones to their skin. They wore a “bird mask” as Hapi called it, Lysithea quickly correcting and explaining that it was actually a “plague doctor mask” and then going into a lecture on the history of medicine until Hapi had fallen asleep (it hadn’t taken long).

They heard the rattle of the lock and the loud door handle turned, revealing two people dressed as plague doctors yet again. One of them grabbed Lysithea’s arm, drawing more blood. The other stood in front of Hapi, blocking her from doing anything. They had quickly learned to always come in pairs, as the first time only a single plague doctor had arrived Hapi had thrown herself at them in a failed rescue attempt.

"What are you even doing?" Lysithea demanded with a wince as the needle plunged into her arm.

As usual, the plague doctors said nothing.

"Can we at least get some food?" Hapi asked. "I'm starving."

"Perhaps a book to read?" Lysithea added. Hapi turned her head to roll her eyes.

"Sit still," Hapi told Lysithea once the plague doctors had left. She affixed a bandage to the newest wound. 

The door opened again and a box of sugary cereal was flung inside. 

Hapi caught it and started munching on the contents. 

"Hey!" Lysithea cried. "Don't eat all the marshmallows!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I still can't believe you took _local children_ ," Cornelia said with a scowl, sitting on a stool in the kitchen and setting her mask on the counter top. 

Tomas, their most recent member, sighed, adding a drop of blood to a microscope slide. "It was too easy to pass up. They're just so easy for me to access, working at the school and all." Tomas had planned on retiring as school history teacher before finding and joining the society. His life renewed, he was beginning to regret that choice.

He added a small bit of dust from the Sword of Liberation, mixing the two before peering at them through the microscope. He watched, fascinated, as microscopic fragments in the dust dissolved the blood. He'd seen this happen a few times now and it blew his mind every time.

"Another failure," he admitted, pulling his face away from the microscope.

Cornelia sighed. "Of course." She threw her mask across the room. "I can feel my powers waning every day. We need to hurry! I'm getting sick of these failures!" She took a deep breath, composing herself. "We should terminate them as soon as possible to avoid any suspicion." 

Anselma lifted her head from the wall where she had been leaning nearby. "Terminate?" She had just returned from sneaking a box of stale cereal into the freezer.

"Selma, you know we can't _keep_ them," Cornelia said with a smile.

Tomas raised his eyebrows at both women. "Perhaps with further experimentation we could find a way to make them worthy. Have you tried blood transfusions?"

Volkhard Arundel came in then, setting a gas can on the ground. "We've already proven that even having Anselma's chosen blood is not enough. Edelgard was proof enough of that."

"Perhaps it was the combination of the Hresvelg poison that caused that," Cornelia said with a sneer. "We should have realized he was not fully dedicated to the cause."

Anselma shook her head. "Over a thousand years and he threw it all away for sentimentality."

Volkhard narrowed his eyes at his sister. She had been getting sentimental as well. She had actually _cried_ following Edelgard's death and hadn't quite been the same since. He wondered how much of what she was saying was an act.

"Cornelia, make the marks. Then we will sacrifice them to the flames and hope they make their way to Lord Nemesis." He handed Anselma the gas can. "My dear sister, I hope you can handle the task?"

Anselma looked at him surprised. "Of course."

He and Tomas gathered their supplies, erasing all evidence of their existence while Cornelia made the marks, Anselma on guard. Anselma winced at the high pitched shrieks of pain the girls made, so much like Edelgard's had been. 

She was finding herself thinking of her daughter more and more lately, wishing this level of technology had been available 100 years ago. Edelgard's needless death could have been avoided. As could so many others... How many children, how many more of her own flesh and blood would she sacrifice to reach her goal? Was it even worth it anymore? A thousand years was a long time to live, to think, to grieve. 

_As many as it takes,_ the part of her still hopelessly devoted to Nemesis reminded her.

_Whatever it takes,_ Edelgard's voice reminded her. It had been nearly 100 years and she still couldn't forget the hopeful look in her daughter's eyes before she walked into her execution. 

"I'm surprised we aren't using them to extend our mortality," Cornelia said, interrupting Anselma's inner monologue once they were outside of the freezer.

"It's too soon," Arundel reminded her. “And we don't want to raise suspicions by sacrificing locals." He shot Tomas a withering look. Tomas ignored him.

That was a much more complicated ritual that they typically reserved for vagrants whose mutilated bodies then disappeared into the nearby river. Tomas' recent induction ceremony had involved such a ritual.

"Anselma, we'll wait for you with the others. Be careful."

She nodded. "Of course." The others left and Anselma began to splash gasoline around the entrance. She hesitated once she got to the kitchen and could see the freezer door again. Sitting the gas can on the counter, she decided it was only fair to at least give them a chance. There was no escaping the society, but perhaps she could make a few wiser decisions.

Anselma walked to the gas station nearby, purchasing a pack of cigarettes and getting change for the payphone outside. "The old Kirsten restaurant is on fire," she said to the operator who answered when she dialed 911. “And there are people inside.” She hung up the phone and lit a cigarette, walking slowly back to the restaurant. She did not see Cornelia observing her from the shadows.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gilbert sat in his police cruiser, unwrapping the sandwich his wife had packed for his lunch. He was just about to take a bite when his radio crackled to life. 

“ _All units, a fire has been reported at the old Kirsten restaurant. Civilians are reported to be inside._ ”

Gilbert frowned. He was parked just down the road from the old Kirsten restaurant and it didn’t appear to be on fire. There was a woman walking down the street smoking a cigarette, but that was about it. It wouldn’t hurt for the fire department to take a look, however. 

He started to take another bite out of his sandwich when he noticed flames coming from the restaurant now. He dropped his sandwich and jumped out of the car. The smoking woman was still walking casually away from the burning restaurant, no longer smoking. “Stop!” he shouted at her. “Police!”

She glanced back at him and then broke out into a run before he could get a look at her face. Gilbert was about to give chase when he remembered that there were supposed to be civilians inside. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lambert Blaiddyd was stressed. His secretary, Catherine, had just put in her notice. He had known it was coming, it was just something she was doing while she finished up college. Garreg Mach High School had offered her a teaching position and she was taking it. He would miss her dearly, she had been a diligent hard-worker. Even with her studies taking up a large chunk of her time, Catherine had never shirked her duties. And the most important part of all? She got along with Dimitri.

He smiled fondly at his son in the passenger seat of the car as they drove home from their lunch with the Fraldarius family. Catherine had been a fantastic unofficial babysitter for Dimitri. He was thirteen now, too old for a babysitter, really, but Lambert wanted to protect his son for as long as he could. The boy was growing up too fast. His heart ached as he wished his wife was here to see their growing son. He looked down at the ring he still wore nearly ten years later.

"Dad! Look out!" Dimitri shouted.

Lambert slammed on the brakes, one hand instinctively shooting out protectively in front of his son. He looked over Dimitri. "Are you alright?"

Dimitri nodded, his wide eyes even wider than usual, making him look even younger. Suddenly he was the small child Lambert had clung to at his wife's funeral.

"Are you sure?" Another nod. "Stay here. I'm going to go check."

The woman had come out of nowhere. Lambert had felt the thud when her body met his car, and then she had disappeared again. He prayed she was not dead.

His prayers were answered, instead of a dead body, he found a disoriented looking woman sitting on the ground in front of the car.

"Are you alright?" he asked, kneeling down in front of her. Her pale brown hair fell limply around her shoulders and she blinked up at him with sad violet eyes. She was absolutely beautiful. She nodded.

"I'm so sorry," Lambert said. "What's your name?"

Anselma looked up at the very handsome man looking down at her with concern. "Patricia," she said. "My name is Patricia." Perhaps she could escape, at least for a little while.

"Oh thank goodness," Cornelia's smooth voice came from behind Lambert. "I was so worried when you ran off like that. What were you thinking, Patty?"

Perhaps not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gilbert saves the day but is injured and forced into retirement. Also, he never got to eat his sandwich. 
> 
> Hapi & Lysithea, so much in common and yet so little in common… I really do wish they had an in-game conversation of some sort. I find it interesting that Hapi’s hair did not lose its pigment but then again the experiments on her were quite a bit different, probably not a "blood reconstruction surgery." Either that or Cornelia is the superior Slither (not likely).
> 
> Also, Patricia… *shakes fist* I noticed the other day that both Dimitri & Edelgard make comments that their fathers fell in love at first sight with Patricia. Is that why there is no official art or portrait or anything of her? Because her beauty would just blow our minds? Or was there magic involved… *side-eyes Cornelia*


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The penultimate chapter, the final showdown.

Byleth found herself lying on that filthy parlor floor, unable to move. Strange hooded figures held her limbs down, chanting quietly.

“You’re lucky,” Edelgard, sitting next to her, said. She was covered in blood again, frowning down at Byleth.

“Hmm?”

“I was awake for it. And Cornelia cut me much deeper than that woman cut you. You probably won’t even scar if you manage to survive this.”

Byleth cried out as the pain finally hit her, the multiple cuts across her body burning. The chanting grew louder and Byleth noticed a dark fog spinning around the room.

Edelgard’s head perked up and she stood.

“Wait!” Byleth could only shout as the other girl disappeared. She was terrified and didn’t want to be alone. Tears began to stream down her face.

The fog became thicker, swirling closer to her face. It seemed like a living being now, swirling slowly. She could feel it creeping up her legs and over her abdomen, seeping into her body through the cuts that were made. Byleth sobbed as it paused before streaming inside her nose and open mouth, causing her to choke. The edges of her vision began to go black again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dimitri drove faster than he had ever driven in his entire life, skidding to a halt just outside of the entrance to Hresvelg Manor. He launched himself out of the vehicle and threw open the heavy door to the house, running full speed down the hall towards the parlor.

Patricia stood at the end of the hall, blocking his way. “I wish you hadn’t come,” she said forlornly.

“Where’s Byleth?” Dimitri demanded. “What have you done with her?”

“There’s so much more going on here than you will ever understand.”

“Then _help_ me to understand. What is going on and what does Byleth have to do with any of it?”

“Come with me. We could use someone like you, actually.”

“Not until I see Byleth.”

Patricia flicked her wrist and suddenly Dimitri found he couldn't move his body. She smiled. “Yes… I think your Byleth is the proper vessel indeed. I can already feel my power returning.” She gripped his wrist tightly and dragged him into the dining room, releasing him just enough so she could force him to sit in a chair.

“What have you done to me?” he demanded.

“So many demands. What do you know of the battle with King Nemesis?”

Dimitri looked at her confused. “Only that it happened over a thousand years ago. St. Seiros tried to settle in Garreg Mach and he claimed the land for himself. The goddess blessed the 10 Elites with the Hero's Relics and they fought him back.”

“That troublesome Seiros was the invader,” Patricia said, frowning. “We were only trying to defend our territory from her and her monstrous followers.”

“ _We?_ ” Dimitri asked.

“Yes, we. Nemesis was not just a King, he was a _god_. And he chose _me_ for his queen. He granted me with longevity and other powers. Not just me, all of his followers. We just have to make a few sacrifices every now and then to keep it up.”

Dimitri looked at her disgusted. “A few sacrifices? So you’re killing people because you’re lost in some delusion?”

“ _Delusion_? After the things you’ve seen, you really think this is some kind of delusion?”

Dimitri had to admit that there were parts of her story that made sense to him. “So what does Byleth have to do with any of this?”

“Seiros didn’t just fight him back, she banished him. We’ve been trying to bring him back, but we need the proper vessel. Byleth is that vessel.”

“You want to put your boyfriend into my girlfriend’s body?” he asked, bewildered.

“Yes. And his first order of business will be to kill you. Poetic, isn’t it?”

"So you would do anything for him? Even if it means sacrificing an innocent girl?" Dimitri asked, trying to reason with her humanity… If she had any left.

“Don’t you see? If we can just bring him back, the sacrifices can stop. Nobody else has to get hurt.”

“You can’t seriously believe that.”

Patricia looked away from him. "Someday you'll understand what it's like to love someone."

"I love her. I love Byleth," he said with a strong conviction.

She scoffed. "I doubt that. And if you actually do, you'll love again. For people like you, it's a fleeting feeling."

“And what about Father and I?”

Patricia laughed. “What about you? Do you think you aren’t the first fake family I’ve had?”

Dimitri's heart broke for his father. “I’m sorry that Father and I couldn’t be enough for you. We loved you as if you were our real family, which we thought you were.”

“Mother,” Edelgard interrupted, stepping between the two.

“E-El?” Patricia gasped.

“Don't call me that. I should have known you were behind this, that there was more to your betrayal,” she said with a frown. “When will you learn? How many more people will you sacrifice before you realize this is a useless endeavor?”

“As many as it takes,” Patricia said, frowning at her daughter. “You should know that, you should remember just how important this is to us.”

“I do. I know that it means more to you than any family you’ve ever had and ever will have. I suppose even I was just another pawn in your schemes.” She looked over Patricia’s shoulder and nodded, then turned back to Dimitri. "Well, I suppose this makes us step siblings," Edelgard commented.

Patricia gasped. Dimitri tried to look around Edelgard at his stepmother, but Edelgard took another step, blocking his view. Dimitri could only see Hubert holding a knife that dripped with blood.

“Byleth,” he insisted.

“Yes,” Edelgard said, her frown deepening. “The magic holding you should be gone now.”

Dimitri shifted, realizing she was right.

“Don’t look,” she instructed, ushering him out the door.

Dimitri caught a glimpse of Patricia’s body crumbled on the floor, a pool of blood surrounding it.

“I said don’t look! Such an obstinate little brother you are.”

“You were bossy in my dreams, too.”

Edelgard rolled her eyes and disappeared while Dimitri ran to the door leading to the parlor. He looked around the room, confused. The society members were lying unconscious against the walls and furniture as if they had been casually tossed there. He recognized so many familiar faces: Tomas, Cornelia, even a woman who worked at a gas station he frequented. How deep did this go?

His eyes focused on Byleth who lay in the middle of the room, her eyes closed. Dark smoke swirled around the room, pouring into her. “Byleth!” he shouted, falling to the ground next to her. He shook her roughly but there was no response.

Edelgard appeared at her other side, frowning down at the girl.

“What’s happening?” Dimitri demanded.

“I think the ritual is actually working,” she said.

“Isn’t there something we can do?” He gripped Byleth’s arm with one hand and brushed her hair back from her face with the other.

“Maybe,” she said thoughtfully. “Hubert?” she called.

“Yes, my lady?”

“It’s time for you to go.”

Hubert frowned. “And you?”

“Don’t worry about me. I'll be right behind you.”

He put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s been an honor to serve you.”

Edelgard placed a hand over his. “Thank you, Hubert.” He disappeared and she straightened her back. “Take care of her,” she told Dimitri.

He looked up at her, confused, but she simply faded from view, leaving him alone with an unconscious Byleth and a room full of smoke. He pulled Byleth’s head into his lap, trying to brush away the smoke that was streaming into her nose and mouth.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Byleth frowned, looking around the parlor.

“And here we are, back where we first met,” Edelgard said from behind her. “I do so hate this room.”

“What are we doing here?” Byleth insisted. “What’s happening?”

“Unfortunately you are meeting the same fate that I met with one hundred years ago. It looks, however, as if you really are the correct vessel, unlike me.”

“I don’t want to be a vessel,” Byleth whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Edelgard told her. “I might be able to help, however.”

Byleth looked up at her. “Please!”

Edelgard nodded. “I just wanted to tell you that I really appreciated these meetings that we’ve had.” The room shifted and they were back in Edelgard’s bedroom. “I didn’t have a lot of friends when I was alive. Hubert was really the only person I was close with.”

“Edelgard…”

“Please. You can just call me El. That’s what my father used to call me when I was little. Now there’s no one left who calls me El…” She sighed. “But with you, well… I think I could allow it. In fact, it would mean a great deal to me.”

“El…” Byleth said, finding a way to draw out the short name. “What are you saying, though?”

She sighed again. “I’m saying I enjoyed our time together. I’m saying that I consider you to be much more than just a friend. In truth, you are like family to me - moreso than certain other members of my so-called family.”

She took a step closer to Byleth, taking her hands. “I’m saying that I wish you all the happiness in the world.” She leaned up and kissed Byleth on the cheek.

Before Byleth could react, Edelgard disappeared.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The universe reminded Edelgard of a layered cake she had received one birthday so long ago. She hadn't realized that multiple layers even existed until her death. Now she could step through them effortlessly. She stepped beyond the realm of human perception and into the shadowed realm she typically frequented these days. She often wondered if there were more layers that she could not perceive in her current state. It seemed a likely hypothesis, one that she had spoken with Linhardt about at lengths. Perhaps that was where Linhardt and the others had gone, to a different layer.

She missed them, the others. They could be annoying, yes, but there was an endearing quality to that annoyance. She knew Hubert had been the cause for many of their deaths, as much as he tried to hide it. He had her best interests in mind, thinking she needed companionship. 

He had loosened the piano wire that had snapped and slit Dorothea's throat. He had knocked over the poison that had fallen into Ferdinand's tea. His sudden appearance had startled Petra, causing her to fall into the pool. She was a strong swimmer, but unfortunately she had become tangled in the cover that had rusted, making it impossible to move. He had shifted the pile of books Linhardt had stacked precariously, causing him to trip and fall down the stairs. And Caspar... well, that had mostly been an accident. Caspar had actually been trying to grab Linhardt when he fell into the fireplace. The fact that the fireplace was suddenly lit was in fact Hubert's doing, however.

Hubert would do anything for her, this Edelgard knew. She hoped he was at peace, now that he had been able to kill her mother, something he'd wanted to do for 100 years now.

In the shadowy realm she could see the true shape of the smoke, of a scarred and simply terrifying looking man that was slowly materializing from the sword in Byleth's hand. This must be her mother's beloved Nemesis, and his body was superimposed over Byleth's now. But Byleth was fighting, whether she realized it or not. Even unconscious, her body was trying to refuse the invader. 

Unfortunately, the symbol on the ground was making her susceptible. Even with Annette's meddling, it was still complete enough to work. Edelgard hoped Byleth (or Dimitri if she failed) would be smart enough to destroy the damned thing, not that it would be hard for the society to recreate it.

Edelgard kicked the sword out of Byleth's hand, causing it to tug on Nemesis, but he still did not let go, his hold on Byleth too strong. It was like he was being pulled into her orbit. She sighed, realizing this was going to take more. She had lied to Byleth, she could leave like the others had, she had simply chosen not to. She was afraid of what was next. But now... She reached down and gripped Nemesis' shoulders. His eyes opened, glaring at her.

"Hello, stepfather," she said. He bared his teeth at her. "It's time for us to go, wouldn't you say?" Edelgard had always been strong, but now the laws of physics didn't really apply to her, or the ghostly body of Nemesis. She ripped him away from Byleth, wrapping her arms tightly around him so he melded into her. He struggled and shouted and Edelgard almost lost her grip on him. But then Hubert was there on the other side of him, wrapping himself around Nemesis, his fingers brushing her arms. 

"I told you to go," she said, frowning.

"I thought you might need a hand," he said, grunting. "We can go together now."

Edelgard nodded. "Thank you, Hubert. I hope to see you in the next life."

“And I you, my lady.”

She counted to three and then... she and Hubert both let go. Not of Nemesis, but of everything. Edelgard glanced back at Byleth as she, Hubert, and Nemesis all dissolved, the latter struggling and shouting. Edelgard didn't hear him, though. She also didn't see the green haired girl that had emerged from the sword and was being pulled into Byleth's orbit instead.

"Live," she told Byleth.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dimitri was crying, his head bent down over Byleth’s and his tears spilling onto her face. “Byleth… Please be okay, please wake up. I love you,” he whispered as if it were a prayer. "I love you, I love you. _Please._ "

“Dimitri?” she mumbled, eyes blinking open slowly.

“Byleth?” he gasped. He watched in wonder as the smoke finally disappeared and Byleth’s hair and eyes transformed to the pale green from his strangest dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Penultimate is a cool word.
> 
> I hope this wasn’t too disappointing. Next chapter will be the wrap up. :)  
> I took a lot of liberties with the Nemesis story, but tbh the in-game version never really got itself straight so... *shrug*


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The End?

Byleth awoke in the hospital, her head feeling fuzzy. She looked around the large, posh room trying to remember what had happened last. Her father sat in a chair across from her, his head leaned back against the wall as he snored softly.

“Dad?” she asked loudly.

His head jerked up. “Huh?” he asked, looking around. “Oh, kid, you’re finally awake. How are you feeling?”

“My head’s a little fuzzy. What happened?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not entirely sure. The mayor’s kid was telling all sorts of wild tales about that house and ghosts and magic and some sort of ritual? All I know is a bunch of people in a cult or something were arrested for kidnapping and hurting you. Sounds like they might be involved in all of that mess that’s been going on at that cursed house for years.”

“Is Dimitri alright?”

Jeralt sighed. “He’s fine. Don’t you worry about him. He and his father came to see you and wouldn’t stop apologizing to me. They even paid for your room upgrade." He gestured around the room. "Apparently his stepmother was involved?”

“She was part of the… cult.”

“Yeesh, that guy sure hasn’t had good luck when it comes to relationships.” 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Hello, my dear,” Principal Rhea said, smiling down at her. “How are you feeling?”

“Alright,” Byleth admitted. “Just some cuts and bruises. I’m well enough that they’re letting me leave this afternoon.”

“I heard. That’s so good to hear.” Rhea reached forward to touch her hair. “Your hair is so similar to your mother’s now.”

Byleth glanced down at it, still not fully used to the change. “The doctors said that sometimes hair changes color when you go through a very stressful event.”

“That you did. You were very brave. You reminded me of your mother in that way.”

“Did she go through a stressful event as well?”

“How much _do_ you know about your mother?” Rhea asked curiously.

“Very little,” Byleth admitted. “My father doesn’t like to talk about her.”

“Yes, I suppose it’s very painful for him. It’s quite painful for myself as well.”

Byleth looked at her curiously. “How did you know my mother, Principal Rhea? It sounds like you were much closer than simply principal and student.”

“Yes, we were in fact. Your mother lost her own parents when she was very young and lived in a home for orphans. It was very difficult. She also had a weak immune system and was frequently sick. She reminded me of…” she paused, looking for the correct words, finally deciding on, “someone I once knew. So when I met her I was immediately drawn to her and because of her situation, I wanted to help. We became very close. She was… like a daughter to me.”

“Oh,” Byleth said, realizing now why Rhea was always so strange around her.

“I don’t have much family left, you see, so having Sitri around was wonderful. And when she fell in love with your father and then learned she was expecting, I was overjoyed. Unfortunately I believe losing her was too much for him and he left this place and all of his memories of her behind.” Rhea sighed. “I apologize. This should have been his story to tell. Also, I should let you rest so you can leave on time.” She stood to leave.

“Thank you for telling me all of that,” Byleth told her honestly. “I really appreciate it.”

“Of course, my dear.” She hesitated at the door. “I do hope that you will come visit me sometime? It would make me very happy.”

“I would like that,” Byleth admitted.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It had been a week since Byleth had returned from the hospital and she still hadn’t heard from or seen Dimitri. She left message after message with Ms. Isaac. She sighed. School was on vacation and wouldn’t start for another two weeks and she wasn’t sure her heart could handle not seeing him for that much longer. She tried calling his house again, hoping she could catch him this time.

“Oh, hello again, Byleth,” Ms. Isaac said. “I’m sorry but Dimitri isn’t here again.”

“Ms. Isaac, please,” she begged. “Do you know where he is? I _really_ need to talk to him.”

“Well… I know he’s been going to the Goddess Tower every day since… that whole ordeal.”

“The Goddess Tower?” Byleth asked.

“Oh, you haven’t heard of it? I’m honestly surprised he hasn’t taken you there yet. It’s the most romantic place in all of Garreg Mach. When the stars come out at night, it seems you can see every one of them from the top floor.”

“Ah, that’s probably why - my father doesn’t usually let me out after dark.”

Ms. Isaac chuckled. “Is he afraid you’re going to turn into a pumpkin? Or attacked by vampires perhaps?”

“Something like that. Thank you, Ms. Isaac.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Byleth rode her seldom used bicycle to the Goddess Tower after finding it on a map of the town. It was fairly close to her house and she realized she had seen it many times without knowing what it was. She headed up the stairs to the top floor, finding Dimitri leaning against the large open window and peering up at the sky.

“Dimitri?” Byleth asked.

He turned towards her, startled. “Byleth? What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been looking for you,” she said with a frown. “You haven’t returned my calls.”

He turned his head back towards the window, looking ashamed. “I’m sorry, I just… I just couldn’t. Not yet.”

“You couldn’t?” she asked, confused. “Couldn’t do what?”

“I know you’re angry with me,” he said. “So, please, I know you came here to break up with me. I thought if I didn’t return your calls I could avoid the inevitable just a little longer.” He sighed. “It’s just… these past several months have been so wonderful with you. I wanted to pretend that it could last a little longer.”

She took several steps towards him and he flinched back as if he expected her to hit him. “Dimitri, you have it all wrong!” She took his face in her hands and kissed him firmly. He froze, just as he had the first time she had kissed him, but this time she didn’t let him go, didn’t pull back until he relaxed, his arms wrapping around her and finally pulling her close to him.

“Byleth,” he breathed. “I thought for sure…”

“Why? Why would you think that?”

“Everything that happened to you, it’s because of my stepmother, because of me!” He brushed her hair back, looking down into her eyes. They might be a different color now, but they still held the same warmth, the same curiosity they had before. “You should hate me.” His fingertips brushed the fading mark on one of her cheeks.

She shook her head. “No. None of it is your fault. I don’t blame you for any of it… I love you, too, Dimitri.”

He gasped, his face reddening. “You… you heard that?”

“Did you mean it?”

“Of course. How could I not love you?”

Her face broke into a radiant smile and she leaned in to kiss him again and again.

The voice of a strange green haired girl spoke inside of Byleth’s head. “Is this all you plan to do? If so, I think it might be time for yet another nap…”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_Garreg Mach Police Department is asking for information from the public to help find a person of interest regarding the kidnapping and assault of a Garreg Mach High School student. This suspect may also be involved in a number of incidences surrounding Hresvelg Manor. The police are seeking to contact the woman pictured below who was most recently known as Patricia Blaiddyd. They believe she has also used the alias Anselma Arundel. If anyone sees her, please contact the police immediately and do not try to make contact. Lambert Blaiddyd is offering a reward for any information in connection with Patricia._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (photo not available)  
> Thanks for making it this far with me. I hope you enjoyed it!  
> Sequel timeskip brainworms exist, but I'm not sure the worms will develop into anything. I'm going to let them gestate and probably focus on my OC fics next, though I'm not sure anybody will be interested in those.  
> Follow me on twitter @mdubzzzplays or @melissamajoriax if you want!  
> Byeeeeeeeeee


End file.
